Aethalmage
by Aria6
Summary: Axel is an aethalmage, and a very powerful one. Roxas is a streetwalker. How they meet and what fun ensues! Axel/Roxas and Sora/Riku
1. Chapter 1

Roxas flinched as a bunch of wet snow slid down his collar, and cursed. It was a wet day in a wet, stony city and a bunch of snow had just slid off the roof overhead and into his shirt. He worked it out, then looked around forlornly. He'd been on this streetcorner for hours and there was no sign of a client.

He was having a terrible week. It seemed like everything that could go wrong was going wrong, in the absolute worst way. And the hell of it was, it had started out wonderfully.

Roxas licked his lips as he remembered the redhead. He'd known the man was rich the instant he saw him at the club. He was spending money like water and treating the staff well, but with the subtle signs of someone used to being waited on hand and foot. And the man himself had been gorgeous, with that beautiful, spiky red hair, vivid green eyes and well muscled body. The combination had been too much, and he'd finally screwed up the courage to approach him. He hadn't really expected to succeed… a man like that could hire any expensive whore he chose, not a street boy in his only good outfit. But the man had seen something he liked and the price they'd agreed on had been very generous.

So generous that Roxas almost felt bad about stealing his money afterwards. Almost, but not quite. He desperately needed money, and not even the generous sum the redhead had agreed to would have been enough. But at least he'd given the man a night to remember… he would remember it himself. It was a pity he couldn't approach that redhead again, if he saw him. It had been amazing…

Roxas opened his bag lunch, and his eyes widened as bugs fell out. He'd only packed it this morning! The food had been good then, but now it was rotten and bug infested. What was going on?

"It's like someone's put a curse on me." He mumbled, then paused. A curse? Oh no.

His bad luck had started after he robbed the man. Roxas thought back hard, trying to remember. Had there been any hint the man was an aethalmage? No… but there was nothing to indicate he wasn't, either.

Aethalmages were the elite of the elite. Feared by most, loved by some, they were the true rulers of the land. Aethalmages often slummed because they could. If you saw someone walking through the worst streets at night, with no obvious protections, you would be well advised to watch for any tingle on the skin or smell of ozone in the air. Those were the telltale signs of magic, and any mugger unfortunate enough to touch an aethalmage would live just long enough to regret it. It was easy to tell, though. Most aethalmages didn't want to exert themselves killing muggers, so the protections advertised themselves. He hadn't felt or smelled anything like that at the club… but an aethalmage would stop that at a club. It would disturb the other patrons.

Roxas groaned, putting a hand to his forehead, and pushed off from his corner. He needed to see a witch right away. The service wouldn't be cheap, not if he went to a good one, but some curses had a way of ramping up. He needed to know if he was really cursed, and if so, what to do. And he'd already paid ahead another three months, with the money he'd gotten from the redhead.

The future past that would just have to look after itself.

* * *

The blind witch peered into her crystal ball as Roxas watched.

She was his age, and her name was Namine. Despite her young age, she had a great reputation all over the city as a true witch. She lived in a lower middle-class neighborhood and sold her services to anyone who could raise the fee. It was expensive, but Roxas was getting desperate. He'd almost broken a leg walking over. If he wasn't cursed, his luck was truly appalling. Namine raised cloudy blue eyes, not looking directly at him. He'd heard she'd been born blind.

"You're definitely cursed." She said in her light, sweet voice, and Roxas winced. It wasn't exactly a surprise but it still wasn't welcome news. "I see a man with red hair. You stole something from him."

"Yeah, I know." Roxas was already getting sick of thinking about it. "Can you tell me who he is and how to get this curse off? Is there any way to remove it?"

"Hmm…" Namine peered into her ball again thoughtfully, then shook her head. "I'm sorry, this is a potent curse cast by a strong man… not on you, in particular, but all his belongings." Roxas sighed to himself. That figured. "Oh… oh my." She blinked into the ball, and for a moment Roxas almost thought she was seeing something. "The curse is marked and sealed by… Axel Tavoden."

"Tavoden?" Roxas felt sick all over again. The Tavoden clan of aethalmages were all powerful and very, very rich. They specialized in the arts of war and technomancy, so they were deadly as well as deeply connected politically. They were also notorious for their wild escapades… and fiery red hair.

"Tavoden. No one will remove this curse for any fee you could pay. You will have to petition Axel himself to remove it." Namine said, without any sympathy. Then she tilted her head. "This is interesting. The aether is offering advice unsolicited." Roxas paid even more attention. Magic was supposed to do what you asked, no more and no less. If it did do more, that was a sign that something important was in the offing and you should damn well pay attention. "It recommends you be honest."

"As if I would dare lie to an aethalmage." Roxas said bitterly and Namine smiled, with a tiny bit of sympathy. Roxas sighed, and stood. "Thank you, Namine."

"No thanks are needed. It was my pleasure." She watched him go with her blind eyes, and when he was gone she put him out of her mind.

She wasn't going to waste a lot of sympathy on thieves, no matter what their problems were.

* * *

Roxas prepared carefully for his trip to Uptown, and tried his best to placate the curse. Such things sometimes had a rudimentary intelligence, and it might hold off as long as he was going to see its maker.

It seemed luck was with him on that, because nothing horrible happened on his way to Uptown. Roxas was in his best outfit and walked into that rarified neighborhood confidently. The best way to look like you belonged was just to act like you did. The rest would follow.

Uptown was beautiful, and his heart ached to see it. There were delicate fountains, filled with huge fish. In the poorer parts of town, those would have been eaten. There were little parks everywhere, and the huge mansions of the rich. The homes of the aethalmages had their marks on the outside of the home. He finally stopped at one in particular, and looked at his paper before swallowing. Namine had made a copy of Axel's mark for him, as best she could without her eyes, and this was definitely it. He looked it over cautiously.

As the mansions here went, it wasn't a very large one. But it was very well put together, with a very nice flower garden behind an iron fence. Roxas tentatively touched the gate, and it swung open, making him jump back. But nothing happened, so he cautiously stepped inside, the gate closing behind him. He walked up to the front of the mansion, over soft grey paving stones, and tentatively knocked at the door.

The man who answered was older, balding and looked down his nose disapprovingly at the young boy on the doorstep. He was wearing a uniform of dark red and green, and Roxas swallowed, feeling his confidence evaporating. This was an upper servant who would surely notice he didn't belong here.

"I… I would like to see Axel Tavodan, please, if he's taking visitors?" He managed to say. The butler frowned at him.

"May I have your name, sir?" The butler asked, tone polite but chilly. Roxas sighed.

"Roxas. No last name." Last names were for people who actually knew who their fathers were, and Namine had said to be honest. The butlers' expression shifted slightly, getting a hint of both weariness and disdain.

"Are you the one who gave the Master the crotch itch last month? Because if so you can see yourself to the door this instant. He's still a touch upset about that." Roxas blinked at that unexpected sally.

"No! I just met him last week." He protested, then looked down. "He… he's put a curse on me."

"Oh… that one." The butler didn't sound at all surprised, and Roxas looked up, startled. "He said to expect you, but he thought it would be another week before you figured it out. Very well, I'll tell him you're here. Come in." The butler ushered Roxas to a sitting room, and Roxas tentatively sat on one of the chairs. They were all upholstered in rich fabric and felt very comfortable, but he wasn't in the mood to enjoy them. To pass the time, he examined Axel's home.

It was everything he had ever imagined a mansion would be. There were nice bas relief scenes on the walls, carved into marble tiles and decorated with gold leaf. Potted cherry trees and vases of star lilies were everywhere. Roxas hesitated, then walked over to a bunch of the flowers to sniff them. The faintly spicy, sweet smell of the star lilies always fascinated him. He'd known a girl in the slums who grew and sold them, and in better times he'd bought them.

From the sitting room he could look into the main foyer, and it was similar to the room he was sitting in except for a spiral staircase and a dark wooden banister.

"Master!" There was a despairing sound to the cry, and Roxas blinked as someone slid down the banister. Who would do that in an aethalmages home? Then he nearly swallowed his tongue as he saw the familiar red hair.

"It's my banister, Rodrick, I can slide down it if I want!" Axel called up to his butler and grinned, hopping off the banister and walking to the sitting room. Roxas stood rooted, feeling paralyzed. The redhead was just as handsome now as he'd been in the club… actually, he was more handsome, if anything. Instead of trendy club clothes, he was wearing a ratty grey shirt and pants that were clean but torn and burnt in places. No doubt they were his work clothes. It made the redhead seem more real, more like a real person than just a rich drone. "So, Roxas! I didn't think I'd be seeing you again quite this soon." Axel flopped down onto a chair, and Roxas blinked. The redhead was violating all his notions of how aethalmages were supposed to behave. "Have a seat, have a seat." Axel gestured at the other chairs, and Roxas hesitated, then sat. "I was really disappointed in you. I was paying at least triple the going rate."

_More like ten times,_ Roxas thought but didn't say. It had been a very good club, and he'd only gotten in because things were slow. The whores who usually frequented the place had higher rates than he did.

"I… I'm sorry." Roxas said quietly, looking down. "I needed the money. My brother's in the hospital and they're charging a lot." Axel frowned, tapping his ear with one finger.

"Repeat that." Roxas blinked, but dutifully repeated what he had just said, and Axel sighed. "The truth. Damn. What happened to him?"

"He…" Roxas swallowed. It was hard to remember that horrible night. "We're orphans. We've been getting by as prostitutes… my brother Sora, he was always so gentle. He got a bad customer. I… I found him when I got home. He'd been choked and hit on the head. He was still breathing but barely… he hasn't woken up since." It had been a terrible thing to come home to, his brother's face swollen and blue tinged, every breath rasping as his body struggled to survive. And all the blood… Axel closed his eyes for a moment.

"You remind me of myself, kid." Roxas blinked. What could a rich aethalmage find to remind him of himself in a story like that? "Kid… Roxas… I can get an aethalmage to take a look at your brother for you and maybe heal him, if you want."

"You would do that?" Roxas' heart jumped with hope… then sank just as quickly. "Why?" He couldn't keep the suspicion out of his tone. Axel grinned, but with a sad edge.

"So suspicious… okay, let me tell you something about me. My father was Gilius Tavodan, but my mother was Tamsin Lightskirt." Roxas blinked. That was a common sobriquet used by whores. "She was a bit of an earth witch and a definite whore, living on Penny Lane. Really pretty. Anyway, she met dad the way I met you, in a club, and they kind of had a thing for a while. I was born, and lucky for me, I might as well have had my paternity tattooed on my bottom." Axel ran a hand through his vivid red hair. "So even when they didn't have a thing anymore, he gave her money for me. Made sure I went to school, had clothes and enough food. And when I was twelve, he had me tested for magic. Turned out mom probably had some aethalmage in her, because I came out really strong. So then he enrolled me in the academy." Axel paused the story, then continued a bit sadly. "Mom was murdered when I was fifteen by a drunk customer. Dad found him and had him hung for me, but it didn't bring her back."

"Oh." Roxas swallowed, then frowned. "But if you were, um, a bastard, how…" How had Axel ended up in this beautiful mansion? It looked old, probably inherited. Axel shrugged.

"Dad never had any other kids, so he legally adopted me and made it all official. My looks scream Tavodan, so there's never been a problem. Hardly anyone even remembers it." Axel looked at Roxas thoughtfully. "So, do you want me to see about getting a friend to look at your brother?"

"Of course! But what do you want for it?" Roxas wasn't going to let up on that particular point. Axel had to want something. Even if his story had tugged on the aethalmages' heartstrings, there had to be something. Axel shook his head with a grin.

"Suspicious! I have a proposition for you, but we can worry about that after we have a look at your brother. You'll be free to accept, or not, as you please. Oh, that reminds me." Axel pointed at him, and a spark of red light flashed over his fingers. Roxas could smell the ozone smell of magic. "Curse removed. Come along, lets get this going." Roxas could only follow as Axel strode out of the room, and wondered what he was getting into.

Hopefully, something good.

* * *

Axel leaned against the outside of the hospital, looking around in aristocratic disdain as Roxas fidgeted.

St. Maria's Charity Hospice wasn't the kind of place to gladden an aethalmage's heart. It was in the worst part of town and surrounded by filthy tenements. And despite the name, they charged for their services if you could pay. Particularly things like caring for a comatose family member. Still, it was better to pay then try to get charity. Real charity cases often got the more experimental treatments, and Roxas wasn't having any crackpot who fancied himself a medic touching Sora. Axel spotted a cockroach, and spat, managing to nail it with uncanny accuracy.

"When is he getting here. He better not have stopped to fuck someone in an alley again." Axel muttered, and Roxas tilted his head.

"Who are we waiting for?" He asked, and Axel glanced over.

"Demyx, the wonder of all things medicinical." Axel frowned slightly, then stretched. Roxas watched, interested. Axel had changed into a beautiful outfit of black silk, with a golden necklace, before they left, and Roxas knew why. No one would believe an aethalmage was wandering around in tattered work clothes, but silks in the slums were a plain warning. "I was going to leave it to him to tell you this, but since he's being so tardy… do you know anything about the effects of head wounds and, um, lack of breathing?" Axel was fairly sure that Roxas wouldn't know the word oxygen. Education in the slums was sadly lacking. Roxas frowned.

"Not really. The doctors around here wouldn't tell me anything. They hardly looked at Sora." He hadn't been able to interest any of them in his case. Axel sighed.

"Probably just as well, since there's nothing they could do. Okay." Axel tapped his fingers against the brick wall for a moment. "There's basically three ways this can go. Number one is… your brother could be dead. If the brain is dead, then the body is dead, it just doesn't know it yet."

"But… he's got color in his cheeks! And if you touch his hand, he grips." Roxas objected, feeling a wave of fear at the thought. Axel shook his head sadly.

"That's automatic, Roxas. It doesn't mean anything. If Demyx says your brother is dead, you're going to have to accept it and let him let the body go. Okay?" Roxas felt tears burning his eyes, but nodded jerkily. "Second, your brother could be alive but… damaged. If air doesn't get to the brain for a while, it can do all kinds of nasty things. If you're lucky, it could be just physical, but it could be mental." Roxas nodded. He had seen that sort of thing before, and while he didn't want Sora to be feeble-minded, he'd take care of him no matter what. "Then there's the best case scenario… that he just needs a bit of healing to pep him up and tell his body that everything's okay, he can wake up now. That's a lot more common than you might think, especially if there's been a trauma involved."

"I hope that's it." Roxas said softly, and Axel reached over to squeeze his shoulder, smiling sympathetically. Then they both looked up as someone stumbled out of a nearby alleyway.

"Oh dear!" Roxas blinked, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him. While Axel's clothing was rich, it was also practical and didn't show stains much. This man, on the other hand, had decided to come in a sky blue outfit with a very lacy, very elaborate shirt that had been sewn with seed pearls. It was already showing some stains, and he tugged on his cuffs in dismay. "Axel! Why have you asked me to come to this filthy place?" The man wandered over, and Roxas wondered if he ever moved in a straight line. He had sandy blond hair in a mullet, and gorgeous blue eyes.

"My friend here has a brother who needs your amazing skills, Demyx." Axel said patiently, then glanced at Roxas. "This is Demyx, a powerful healing aethalmage. He's also a huge manwhore, so watch out." Demyx sniffed and pulled out a gold pocket watch, examining it.

"I'm supposed to go to a meeting with the Chamber in… oh, who cares. They can go on without me. Show me the patient." He gestured grandly, and Roxas blinked before shaking his head and leading them into the hospital. Staff looked up as they entered, clearly thinking about approaching them… but Axel glanced around and they decided they had business elsewhere. "I wonder how long it will take before the director of this hovel comes to see us?" Demyx said whimsically, and Axel grinned.

"Probably not long, so let's go. I hate listening to butt-kissing." St. Maria's enjoyed the patronage of several important people, and the director was good at mustering up more, but Axel definitely wasn't in the mood for that. Roxas led them straight to Sora's room. Demyx went inside and the blond would have followed, but Axel gripped his arm. "Demyx likes to work in private." Roxas looked up at him, clearly worried, and Axel smiled again. "Don't worry, he's one of the best healers in the city." Axel leaned against the wall again, crossing his arms and casually intimidating anyone who looked to be heading in their direction. The smell of ozone soon radiated from the room and was even more effective at driving people away. "It's taking a while… that's a good sign. If your brother were dead, he'd have known instantly." Axel commented, and Roxas felt a cautious hope. Then the door swung open, and Demyx poked his head out, grinning. But before he could say anything, Roxas heard a familiar voice.

"Roxas?" Roxas pushed past the aethalmage, making him yelp in surprise, and ran to the bed. Sora was sitting up, and although he was as weak as a kitten, he was awake and smiling shyly at his brother.

"Sora!" Roxas threw his arms around his brother, and squeezed him so hard the brunette squeaked. "Never do that to me again. I thought you were never going to wake up." Sora sniffed, and wrapped his arms around Roxas.

"I… I'm sorry Roxas. I didn't want to, after what he…" Sora couldn't go on, tears welling up in his eyes, and Roxas patted his back.

"I know." Roxas face went grim as he remembered what he found. The experience must have been brutal. He looked up at Demyx. "Thank you." Demyx waved it away.

"Don't thank me, thank Axel. You owe me big time, by the way. I had to drain an entire crystal reservoir to reach him." Demyx waved something in front of Axel, and Axel sighed.

"I bet it was half drained before you started." Demyx started to protest, and Axel raised a hand. "Alright, alright. Stop by my place sometime and we'll discuss it."

"No, I think I'll go with you now." He said brightly as Axel frowned. "Come now Axel! I'm sure you did this partly just because you're a nice person, but you surely have an idea for these two boys. Don't deny it! And you're not me, so it's probably not your bed. Well, not just your bed. I want to know what's going on." Axel rubbed his head with one hand as Roxas frowned and Sora watched uncomprehendingly.

"Fine… you'd find out in a week anyway. Let's all go back to my home so we can discuss this in a civilized setting." Sora's hospital room certainly wasn't that. Sora looked up at Roxas questioningly, and Roxas smiled at him reassuringly.

He wasn't entirely sure he trusted the aethalmage, but they owed Axel big time. It was time to find out what the redhead wanted.


	2. Indecent Proposals

"Ah, tea." Demyx drank from his teacup daintily, a pinky finger extended. Sora watched him wide-eyed, then tried to imitate his manners. Axel sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Don't imitate him, Sora, please. He's acting like a complete pantywaist." Sora blushed, embarrassed that he had been so obvious, and Demyx sniffed.

"Acting like? I'll have you know I AM a complete pantywaist. Get it straight, Axel." Demyx sighed, then. "That was a tremendously good meal. Give my regards to the cook."

They had all just enjoyed a very tasty lunch. Leek soup followed by mushroom and beef ragout, with tea and sweet cakes for dessert. Roxas and Sora had both eaten like they had been starving, and Axel and Demyx had finished off the rest. Being an aethalmage was real work, despite appearances, and using magic could work up quite an appetite. Roxas and Sora had been glad that the cutlery was simple, rather than the elaborate stuff some nobles and aethalmages seemed to favor. They hadn't discussed much during the meal… the food was too distracting, and Axel clearly preferred to eat than talk. But now they were lingering over the tea and cakes.

"I'll tell her you liked it. Now… for the proposition." Axel looked at Roxas for a moment, then examined Sora thoughtfully. "I think I could use both of you. I was told just yesterday that I'm leaving for Aerinos." Demyx blinked at that.

"What! Why? What's happened to Luxord?" Demyx immediately protested, and Axel winced.

"Dem… he's dead." Demyx stiffened in shock, his mouth falling open as Axel continued. "He died just last week of stomach troubles."

"WHAT!" Demyx sputtered. "That's absurd! Aethalmages don't die of… indigestion!" Axel smiled a touch sadly as Roxas and Sora watched them.

"No, they don't. That could mean anything from poison to an embarrassing accident. That's part of the reason I'm going down there, to figure out what really happened." Demyx nodded. "And to do that, I need a couple courtesans." Demyx blinked at that and Roxas and Sora both looked confused. Axel grinned at them. "You're all hopelessly provincial. Roxas and Sora have an excuse, but what's yours Dem?"

"Excuse me, I'm a healing aethalmage." Demyx said with massive dignity. "The odds of me leaving the country are negative. Now why do you need a courtesan, besides the obvious reasons?"

"It's a cultural thing." Axel explained, then sipped his tea. "In Aerinos, you need to have a courtesan or they start questioning your manhood. Doesn't matter if the concubine is a man or a woman, though. They're quite liberal minded about that, unlike their cousins in Librina. Normally I would hire a bonded courtesan and pay extra for a geas bond, but the problem is that I just don't have the money for it." Demyx nodded, unsurprised, but Roxas and Sora both looked baffled.

"What do you mean, you don't have the money? You're rich." Roxas said, and met Axel's gaze as the aethalmage looked at him. Axel smiled, amused.

"I'm rich, but the problem is liquidity. Do you know much about finance?" Roxas frowned as Sora shook his head. "Right… well, this house is worth a lot of money, theoretically. But to actually have that money, I would need to find a buyer and go through a lot of tedious paperwork to sell it. Only after all that was done, would I actually have the money. And that's my problem at the moment… whores, even bonded courtesans, don't accept partial payment up front and the rest later. And for a trip that could last years, they would want enough money to buy that club we met in." Axel shook his head. "I just can't get it in two days. Impossible."

"Two days!" Demyx exclaimed. "That's less than no notice! Are they insane?"

"More like desperate. The Queen is getting married next week and we NEED an ambassador there for it. Not having one present would be a major faux pas, and we do a ton of trade with them." Axel shrugged. "They might make an exception since our ambassador is deceased, but the King doesn't want to take the chance. So I'm moving out now."

"And you want these two to be your courtesans." Demyx frowned. "Why two? And…" He gave the two boys an apologetic look, but then turned back to Axel. "Axel, I'm sorry, but they're street boys. They won't know court manners." Roxas bristled, but Sora looked down into his teacup. Axel grinned.

"Go teach your grandma to suck eggs, Dem. Court manners in Aerinos are completely different than they are here." Demyx frowned, and Axel explained with exaggerated patience. "Demyx, you're thinking of the cutlery dance, right? They don't use cutlery in Aerinos. At all."

"Oh." Demyx said faintly, and blinked. "I suppose that does make a difference."

"Right. Bonded courtesans would have no clue either. No matter who I hire, I'm going to have to buy them etiquette lessons… and the Aerinos will understand that. They won't expect much out of a brand new ambassador and his courtesans. As for why I need them both… after what happened to Luxord, I'm not being sent alone." Axel's gaze settled on the brunette, who was still looking into his teacup. "I'm hoping Sora will be able to serve as Riku's concubine." Sora looked up, startled, as Demyx sputtered.

"Riku! You must be joking. He'll never agree to take a courtesan. The man's a complete ice cube!" Sora looked worried at that, but Axel's expression turned stern.

"He'll take one if I order him to. I'm in charge, and he will damn well bring one… if not Sora, then someone else." Axel smiled gently at Sora and tried to reassure him. "Riku really isn't that bad. Demyx just can't stand him. He told Dem to go suck his own dick, if he needed it sucked that badly."

"Pffth." Demyx muttered and gulped his tea. "Riku! I doubt he even knows where to stick his dick."

"Demyx, I can assure you, from personal experience, that Riku does in fact know how to fuck." Axel said solemnly, and Demyx snorted his tea, then coughed. "In any case, it doesn't matter. If he doesn't want to, they can just pretend. Appearances are all that matter for this, and if he's unkind to Sora I'll smack him around a bit. So don't worry." Sora looked a little reassured, and Roxas squeezed his shoulder.

"This could be dangerous, couldn't it?" Roxas asked, and Axel hesitated before nodding.

"It could be. Maybe Luxord just died in a compromising position in a whorehouse, and they're trying to spare our feelings by calling it indigestion. But the timing is fishy, so we're being sent out with fishing poles. If there's anything in our suspicions, it could be very dangerous, I won't lie to you." Axel took a deep breath, then continued. "But if you do this for me, I'll give you each a hundred thousand munny and a place in my household, if you want it." Roxas and Sora exchanged glances. Roxas had liberated about thirty thousand munny from Axel, so it wasn't an overwhelming amount… but it was still quite a lot. And being a servant in a rich man's house was the kind of job a lot of slum dwellers dreamed of. It would mean they would actually get to live in Uptown, in the servants' quarters. There would be no more concerns about food or money.

"Can we get that in writing?" Roxas asked, and Axel grinned.

"Suspicious, Roxas!" He teased, and Roxas blushed lightly but looked stubborn. "You can have better than that. I'll make it a condition of the geas, so I'll be bound to it through my own magic. How's that?"

"Wait, geas?" Sora said uncertainly, and Axel nodded.

"I'll need to bind your loyalty to me and Riku. I'm sorry, it's necessary." He said firmly as the two boys looked uneasy. "It has a huge advantage to the two of you, though. You'll share in our protections and maybe even part of our magic as long as the geas binds us. And no one will be able to torture our secrets out of you, so they won't bother trying."

"Reassuring." Roxas said dryly. "Can we have a few moments alone to talk about this?" He glanced around, then stood and walked over to the foyer. Sora put down his teacup and followed. As soon as they were far enough away, Roxas spoke in a low tone. "What do you think, Sora?"

"I…" Sora hesitated, then looked at Roxas, his big blue eyes soulful. "I really want to Roxy. I'd love to be a servant in a place like this. And… it might be dangerous, but…" Sora sniffed, then continued. "It can't be anymore dangerous then being a w-whore." Roxas winced, remembering what had happened to Sora… and what Axel had said about his mother. Sora had a point.

"Okay Sora. We'll do it." Roxas hugged his brother for a moment, feeling how thin Sora had become in his coma. They came back into the room, and Roxas tilted his head curiously as he saw Axel passing something to Demyx. It looked like a small key made of silver. "What are you guys doing?"

"Oh, Dem here wants the use of my summer house for a week for healing you." Axel sounded slightly disgruntled, and Demyx grinned. "Hopefully he won't completely trash the place. So what have you decided?"

"We'll do it." Roxas said firmly, and Axel smiled, reaching out to ruffle Roxas' spiky blond hair. Roxas flushed slightly as Sora smiled.

"Great. Now for the fun part… introducing you both to Riku." Sora blinked and looked worried again. Roxas took his hand, giving him a gentle squeeze.

All he knew about Riku was that he wouldn't be glad to see him. It wasn't reassuring.

* * *

"I am not taking a courtesan." Aquamarine eyes met green, and neither held any give.

Axel and Riku were talking in a private room as Sora and Roxas waited outside. Axel didn't want the boy to hear Riku being his usual, stubborn self before he'd had a chance to beat him into submission a bit. Because like it or not, Riku was going to submit. Axel was not giving up.

"Oh yes you are." Axel said in a deadly, reasonable tone, folding his arms. Riku slammed a hand on the table.

"You cannot dictate my private life!" He half-shouted, and Axel's eyes flashed as he stepped close to the silver haired man, invading his personal space.

"This has nothing to do with your private life. This is a mandatory part of your cover in Aerinos, and you will either do it or you will stay here… and explain to the King why you're staying. Do you understand?" Axel's tone was hard as rock and cold as ice. Riku opened his mouth to protest further, then shut it as he realized Axel was dead serious.

"Damn you Axel." He hissed, but Axel just looked at him. Riku drew a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Fine. Show me this whore you've picked out for me." Axel's eyes flashed at the bitterness and contempt in Riku's tone, and his hand shot out, tangling in his fine silver hair and yanking his head close. Riku winced, but didn't protest the treatment as Axel spoke in his ear.

"You don't have to touch him if you don't want to. But you will be polite and courteous, or I will take you outside and kick you in the balls. You understand?" There was a moment of fierce resistance, then it seemed to melt away. Riku went passive in Axel's grasp, his green eyes going soft.

"I understand." He murmured, and Axel let go of his hair. He'd seen Riku make that transition before, from fierce resistance to soft submission, but it was always strange. Axel often wondered what in the boy's personality or family background gave rise to it. Riku rubbed his head, a bit of hardness returning to his eyes. Axel walked to the door and opened it, motioning for the two boys to come inside. They had both taken a bath, and were wearing the red and green uniforms of Axel's servants.

"This is Roxas, and this is Sora." Sora smiled shyly and a touch nervously as he saw Riku for the first time. He was relieved to see that Riku looked to be a young man, maybe twenty. It was hard to tell with aethalmages, though. The magic could be used to extend lifespan. But the soft silver hair and aquamarine eyes were very attractive, and he was wearing a simple white, sleeveless shirt that displayed his muscled arms perfectly. Sora wet his lips, wondering what it would feel like to have those strong arms around him.

Riku, meanwhile, was a bit appalled. The boy looked like a child, bundled in a too large uniform and at least a head shorter than him. And he looked half-starved. The big blue eyes, though… that was nice, and so was the almost innocent air about the boy. But…

"H-how old are you?" Riku had to ask. He thought Sora looked barely legal. Sora blinked, a bit surprised.

"I'm fifteen." Riku shot Axel a disbelieving look, and Axel shrugged. The age of consent was supposed to be fourteen, but not a lot of people paid attention to it in the slums.

"What's the age of consent in Aerinos?" Riku asked, and Axel raised his eyebrows.

"First Demyx, now you? Go teach your grandma to suck eggs. It's ten." Riku winced as Sora and Roxas glanced at each other. "Special child bride provision. Otherwise it's twelve. Now, shall we get on with the geas binding?" Axel gestured to the table. There was a lit candle there, despite the fact that the room had a glass door that was open and letting in all the light they could want. There were also two alabaster cups, a small, sharp knife and a jug of wine. Axel poured the wine into the cups, and passed one to Riku without comment. "Alright, Roxas, Sora. What we have to do here is cut ourselves, mix the blood with the wine, then drink it as I cast the spell. Sora and Riku will mix their blood while I mix mine with Roxas. Got it memorized?" Riku gave him an annoyed look as the two boys nodded, and Axel grinned. "Then lets get started."

The air smelled heavily of ozone, and Sora could feel his skin prickling as Riku began the spell. Riku sliced his arm easily, catching the blood with the cup then mending his skin with a simple spell. He passed the knife over to Sora and watched as the younger boy tried to emulate him. Sora winced as he cut a bit too deeply, and blood spilled heavily. Riku caught a bit of it, then touched his arm, mending the skin for him.

"We go to Aerinos. Until we return, you will give me your loyalty in all things or until I dismiss you from my service. By blood and magic, it shall be. And when this bond is broken, I shall give you the sum of one hundred thousand munny and a place in either my household or Axel's, and this shall be a place you desire. By blood and magic, it shall be. Do you agree?" Riku looked into Sora's eyes, and Sora swallowed before answering.

"I do." He said firmly, and Riku nodded, drinking deeply from the cup. He passed it to Sora, who did the same… and almost gagged at the taste of iron in the wine. Blood didn't taste very good, not that much of it anyway. Then he blinked as he felt something slide over his face, and actually reached up to touch it, although there was nothing there. It felt like silk and smelled like lilacs, and seemed to surround him in refreshing coolness for a moment. He heard Roxas yelp, and blinked again, turning to look at his brother.

"What is it?" Axel asked, surprised, as Riku glanced over with a frown. Roxas looked a little dazed.

"It… it felt like fur, and tasted like apples and cinnamon." Axel's eyebrows shot up as he looked at Roxas in astonishment.

"You tasted my power?" He blinked, then looked at Sora. "What did you feel?"

"It…" Sora hesitated a moment, then replied shyly. "It felt like silk and smelled like lilacs." Axel and Riku exchanged a thoughtful glance.

"They're sensitive. Probably either aethalmage blood, or earth magic." Riku commented, and Axel nodded.

"Probably the earth magic. It's dominant, and aethalmage blood isn't." Axel looked at the ceiling, clearly thinking. "Maybe we should try to train them. Earth magic is very useful." Riku snorted.

"You can if you want. My teaching style is abominable, remember?" He rolled his shoulders, dismissing it, then looked at Sora again, meeting his big blue eyes.

Maybe this concubine business wouldn't be so bad after all.


	3. Sexual Tension

"Leaving in two days is for the birds." Axel grunted as he kept packing his magical supplies. Roxas frowned, helping as best he could. There were certain things Axel wouldn't let him touch.

"Do you really need all this stuff?" He asked dubiously as he carefully wrapped a jar in cotton and packing paper. Axel straightened, wincing and rubbing his back.

"Probably not. But if I do need it and don't have it, I'll regret it. Replacing any of this in Aerinos would be a nightmare. They do magic differently down there." Axel sighed, picking up a little toy horse from a workstand. "Oh, hey, want to see something interesting? Giddy-up!" Roxas glanced over and blinked as the horse came to life, trotting in a little circle and neighing. "It's for my niece, her birthday is next month."

"It's cute, I'm sure she'll love it." Roxas said with a smile, but couldn't help but feel a bit of sadness. He and Sora hadn't had any toys since they were orphaned… and not much before that either. In fact, the only toy he could really remember was a rag doll his mother had made.

"Woah." Axel said to the horse, and it stopped moving. He picked it up and put it back on the shelf. "Thanks, I love making those kinds of things. Too bad it's just a hobby." Roxas frowned as he thought of something he'd been meaning to ask.

"Axel? Um… what exactly do you do?" Roxas asked. Clearly Axel was rich but not idle, and aethalmages had various specialties. Roxas only knew of a few of them… the healers, the battle mages and the technomancers.

"Me? Oh… it's a little complicated." Axel frowned as he looked at a jar. "I don't even know what this is… um. Well, I'm a technomancer to start. I specialize in new weapons. A lot of guns and air cannons have my work in them." He turned the jar around and an eyeball floated to the surface. "Oh, afrodisia. I won't be needing this." He put it in the pile of rejected supplies before continuing. "I'm also a pyromancer and general combat mage. I really suck at using ice, though. It's a weakness. And I'm also an earth witch." Roxas blinked at that. He knew about earth magic, of course… it was as common as aethalmancy was rare.

"An earth witch? I didn't think aethalmages could be earth witches." That was curious. Axel grinned.

"Common misconception. Actually, almost every aethalmage is also an earth witch." Roxas eyed him curiously and Axel explained. "It all goes back to when we conquered Midora, about, mm, a thousand years ago." Roxas blinked at the thought of history going back that far. "Earth witchery came from there. It's a dominant trait, unlike aethalmagery, and has some serious survival advantages so it tends to spread. Anyway, my ancestors took a lot of powerful earth priestesses as concubines after the conquest and tried to breed the earth magic into the aethalmage bloodlines. It didn't exactly work… because aethalmagery is a recessive trait, the earth magic overwhelmed it and a lot of children without any aethalmagery were born. But that's not exactly unusual when we bring new blood in, so they grew up with the aethalmages and eventually married and had children with us." Axel shrugged. "After a thousand years of mixing, that earth priestess blood is in almost all of us. Most aethalmages just don't know how to use it. I do, since my mother was an earth witch. And father caught me practicing, too, and realized he couldn't sense what I was doing. So he got me the best teacher he could find to enhance my earth magic. A great man, Gilius Tavodan." Axel sounded wistful. "Anyway… yeah. Earth magic is almost undetectable to aethalmagery, so I've been teaching our youngsters how to use it ever since."

"And that's the magic you think Sora and I have." Axel nodded as he packed away a microscope. "What happened to your father? If you don't mind me asking?"

"Not at all… it's been almost ten years." Roxas blinked, wondering how old Axel was. He didn't look much over twenty-five, but he had to be older. "Have you heard of the Defiler Rebellion?" Roxas shook his head and Axel smiled sadly. "How fleeting is fame. Well, it was a really nasty rebellion in our Southern province. It was being funded by outside interests, and they'd managed to suborn a senior intelligence official. Bad information was given to the King and his Council, and they sent a platoon of battle mages and shock troopers into a really bad situation." Axel paused a moment, remembering. "They were set up to fail, but they didn't. It was meant to be a massacre of our troops and civilians, to prove our weakness, but they did it. They killed most of the rebels and got out… although only nine out of the fifty sent made it. And three of the survivors eventually died of their wounds. Father was one of them. I still miss him, sometimes." Axel brooded a moment, then deliberately continued in a more cheerful tone. "And don't let Demyx's foppishness fool you. He was one of those survivors too."

"Wow, really?" Roxas had trouble imagining the dapper healer in a combat zone. "He must be older than he looks then. What should I do with these?" Roxas tentatively touched a porcelain egg. Axel glanced over.

"Oh, leave those. They're a gag gift. Took me a while to figure it out… they're enchanted to radiate magic and trick aethalmages into examining them for hours trying to figure out what they do. But all they do is radiate magic." Roxas blinked, then snickered at the thought. "So what happened to your parents? If you don't mind me asking?" Roxas winced, but… he had asked Axel about his father, so it was a fair question.

"Me and Sora are twins… we don't know who our father is. Our grandma helped raise us, but she died when we were six. Our mother was a carpenter. We all lived on White Street." Axel nodded. That was a lower class neighborhood, but not part of the slums. "Then one day she didn't come home. A man came and told us she was dead, a beam had fallen on her. He took us to an orphanage but they said they were full, they couldn't take anymore. So he just left us there." Roxas shrugged. "We got by from there." He didn't want to go into the living in alleyways, scavenging for food… and being taught about sex. Axel winced.

"Lazy bastard. If I knew who that was, I'd have him fired. Or worse." Axel glanced around the room thoughtfully, then at the half dozen boxes they had filled. "I think that's it. Let's go get some supper, I'm starving." They'd spent almost the entire day packing the magical supplies, and Roxas nodded, his stomach rumbling. But before they left, he hesitated, and slipped a porcelain egg in his pocket.

He wasn't sure why. Axel wouldn't care, and the egg wasn't pretty or valuable. Still… he had a feeling it could be useful.

* * *

Sora watched Riku pack his magical supplies, feeling completely useless. The silver haired boy didn't want him to touch anything. In fact, Riku would have preferred to not have him in the room, but Sora didn't know where else to go. The staff of Riku's mansion were kind but distant and there was nothing for him to do.

"Are you sure you don't want any help?" He said tentatively, and Riku looked up with a frown.

"No, for the third time." Sora winced and huddled up a bit. Riku sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, I just don't like other people messing with my things." Riku eyed him thoughtfully for a moment. "Actually, I do have something for you to do. Go ask the cooks to send me some nibbles and a drink, then tell one of the serving staff that I want you to go to the gymnasium." Sora blinked.

"Gym-what?" That was a word he'd never heard before. Riku gave him a look like he was stupid, then explained in an overly patient tone.

"Gymnasium. It's a room with equipment you can use to exercise. You look like a strong wind would blow you over and you've got almost no muscle tone. It's cute, but you need to work out." Sora winced. He knew he was weak at the moment. He didn't need to have his face rubbed in it.

"I was in a coma for months." He muttered, and Riku frowned.

"A coma? What happened?" Sora stayed silent, looking down, and Riku shook his head. "Nevermind. That makes it more important that you work out, to get back your coordination."

"Yes Riku," Sora said dutifully, getting up from his stool.

"Work out until you're tired, but not exhausted. You don't want to push it." Riku cautioned him, and Sora nodded before he left.

He wasn't sure what to think of Riku. The silver haired man seemed to blow hot and cold… one moment paying attention to his needs, almost kind, and the next treating him like an idiot. And Riku didn't want help with anything. Sora had seen rich people before… they usually took servants for granted. Riku's servants weren't allowed in his rooms at all. Riku brought his own clothes out and put them in a hamper, and they delivered the clean ones outside his room. It was… weird. Sora wondered what his rooms looked like. Were they a terrible mess, or did the aethalmage clean everything himself? Somehow, Sora couldn't imagine Riku living in a mess. His magical workroom was so nicely arranged.

Sora hadn't seen Riku's rooms yet, and he wasn't sure he was going to. Riku seemed undecided on if he wanted to have him as a lover… Sora had caught some wanting glances from the silver hair, but Riku made no advances. Sora had considered trying to seduce him, but he wasn't sure how Riku would react. Or if he wanted to. Riku was very handsome but a bit scary.

Sora poked his head into the kitchen cautiously, trying to figure out who to talk to. A maid was chatting with one of the under-chefs, and glanced over with a smile.

"Oh, Sora!" She said happily, walking over, and Sora relaxed a bit. She was an older woman and was one of the few members of the staff that was really friendly. "What do you need?"

"Riku says he would like some nibbles and a drink in the magic room. And he said I need to go to the gymnasium?" He said shyly, and she ran her eyes over his body for a moment before nodding.

"He's right about that. I'll show you the way. Hey, Aaron, the Master would like some sandwiches and tea in the magic room!" The chef nodded, and called a few orders to his subordinates before she skipped out. "Right this way." Sora followed her as she led him to a very large room. He blinked as she ushered him in, glancing around.

The gymnasium seemed like a huge waste of space, at first. It was very large. It was edged by a dark grey path, set into the floor, and he scuffed it with one foot. It felt a bit gritty.

"That's the running path. Now, all this is the equipment you can use." She cheerfully showed him the equipment in the centre of the room, demonstrating how to use it. Sora blinked as he watched. The thought of deliberately exercising like this was foreign to him. He had always walked most of the day, so he'd never needed to. But after a bit of reflection, he could see how an aethalmage would need this. They didn't have to walk anywhere, unless they wanted to. "There, you try it." Sora hesitated, then hopped up on the peddling machine. When she was sure he had the hang of it, the maid smiled and left.

An hour later, Sora was dismayed to find out how weakened he really was. Before his coma, he could have done this for hours. But now he was tired after barely one.

"Riku was right." Sora mumbled to himself as he lifted weights. "I just wish he'd be nicer about it." Riku could be so obnoxious without even trying. Nothing like Axel. For a moment, Sora wished he'd been able to go with the redhead, then shook his head. Roxas liked Axel and he was pretty sure Axel liked Roxas back. It made him wonder… could this be permanent? "Not worth thinking about now." He reminded himself.

They'd have to go to Aerinos and come back before he could seriously think about his and Roxas' future.

* * *

"Two aethalmages and companions." The purser of the airship glanced them over, then at the dozen or so boxes piled behind them. "Traveling light, I see." Roxas and Sora exchanged wide-eyed glances. This was traveling light?

"We had to pack quickly." Axel said casually, glancing up at the vast airship. "Is everything ready to go?" The purser nodded as several of the crew started working, bringing the boxes on board carefully. They were familiar with magical supplies.

"We've been ready for hours. As soon as this is all loaded, we'll be underway." Axel took the hint, and started up the rope ladder to the airship. A crew member gripped his arm as he reached the top, helping him aboard. Roxas looked at Sora with concern, but Sora smiled and shook his head. He was sure he could make it.

Soon, they were all aboard the airship. Almost as soon as they were onboard, it began moving, starting forward at a slow, lumbering pace. Axel lead them downstairs, into the bowels of the ship.

"Next stop, Aerinos! I hope you all brought motion sickness medication, this could be a bumpy ride." He said cheerfully and Riku sighed, crossing his arms.

"I suppose we'll have to share cabins." He said, irritated, and Sora wilted slightly. Axel glanced over at him whimsically.

"Stop being such a priss, Riku. Sora isn't going to molest you, I promise." Riku favored Axel with a glare, then left to go to his cabin, muttering something that might have been curse words. Roxas frowned, offended for Sora.

"What is his problem?" He asked aloud, and Axel shrugged, then grinned.

"At this moment? Demyx. He invited Riku to my summer house just to be an annoying bastard. Don't worry about it, he'll get over it." Sora cheered up a little at that. At least Riku wasn't mad at him.

Although it could spill over onto him. He'd just have to see.

* * *

Sora winced, glancing around the cabin as Riku got ready for bed. Riku was changing in the bathroom, and he had already changed, but… there was only one bed.

Airships like this had strictly limited accommodations. Their initial impression of slowness had been deceptive… this was actually a very fast ship when it really got going, and it was going now. But it wasn't meant for passengers, and they weren't the only ones going to Aerinos. So even taking a crew quarter was out of the question. He and Riku had to share the bed.

It wasn't helped by the fact that the walls were thin and they were right beside Axel and Roxas cabin. Sora winced again at a muffled cry. It sounded like Roxas was having a great time, and he wistfully wished he could say the same.

Riku stepped out of the bathroom and Sora stared, taken aback. The silver haired boy was wearing white silk pajama pants, and no top. Sora's gaze trailed over the other man's chest, blushing faintly. Riku was… well built. Very well built. Blue eyes met aquamarine, and there was a tension filled pause. Then Riku glanced away, stepping over to the bed and casually pulling back the covers. Sora blinked, then sat down beside him.

"R-Riku?" He said haltingly as the silver haired man curled up under the blankets, facing away from him. "Can I… can I hold you?" There was a pause, and for a moment Sora's heart plummeted. He was sure Riku was going to say no.

"If you want." The reply finally came, almost indifferent but… not quite. Sora hesitated, then cuddled up against Riku's back, putting an arm around his waist. Riku's hand slid over his, and Sora sighed, closing his eyes.

This was… comforting. Very comforting. It had been a long time since he had just held someone.


	4. Earth Magic

Roxas awoke slowly in the morning, and for a long moment he wondered where he was. There was a vibration, as if from a giant machine, and someone had an arm around… no, not just that, someone was tucked against his back, breathing against his neck…

_Oh, Axel._ The past night returned to him in a rush, and he sighed in pleasure as he enjoyed the feeling of having the redhead close to him. It was kind of strange. He'd had customers who turned him on before and even some who were good in bed, but none that made him feel as horny as Axel. He could tell from the change in breathing behind him that Axel was awake… and also from the warm lips against his throat. He turned around to face the redhead, and Axel smiled at him warmly, sliding a hand through his hair.

"Ah, Roxas." Axel pulled him into a long, passionate kiss. "You do have magic… you've magicked my heart away." Roxas couldn't help but laugh at that, and Axel smiled at the sound.

"You're silly." He whispered before kissing Axel again. Axel slid a hand down over his ass, and Roxas moaned into his mouth. He could feel Axel's beginning arousal, pressed between them, and his own response. It didn't take long for the sex to begin again, and Roxas moaned in pleasure, wrapping his legs around Axel's waist as the redhead pounded him into the bed. It all felt so good, and Roxas whispered Axel's name, then cried it out as Axel hit that sweet spot inside him. Soon he felt the coiling pleasure in his gut, the way his penis was tightening… "Axel, I'm… ah!" He cried out as he released, his insides clamping tightly around Axel. The redhead gasped and followed a moment later, kissing his throat lovingly. Then Axel slowly pulled away, lying beside him, and reached down with a wicked smile, running a finger through the sticky mess on Roxas' belly. Roxas swallowed as Axel brought the finger to his mouth, sucking it thoughtfully.

"You taste good." He said, his green eyes smoldering, and kissed Roxas again. The blond could taste the slightly bitter, salty taste of himself in the kiss.

"If you keep this up, I'm not going to be walking today." He said breathlessly, and Axel laughed but desisted.

"Can't have that. I'm going to start teaching you and Sora a bit about earth magic and Aerinos today." Roxas could taste apples and cinnamon as Axel used a small magic to clean them up. He'd never imagined magic could be used for things like that before he'd met the aethalmage. Axel showed no sign of wanting to get up, though, gently tucking Roxas under one arm. Roxas rested his head on Axel's chest with a sigh. It felt so good to be held, and he was already developing feelings for the redhead. Did Axel feel the same way?

…_What does it matter if he feels the same way?_ Roxas thought, his eyes dulling as his sense of reality returned. _He's an aethalmage. Even if he loves me, he'll have to get married and have kids. The King will order him to._ Aethalmages, while the highest of the high, were in some ways less free than the lowest of the low. Because the talent for it was hereditary and recessive, they had no say in who they married or when. Although the King and his Council did try to take love matches into account, there had been many tragedies written about commoners and aethalmages falling in love. And even if it weren't for that, Axel was so far above him. Why would he want a street whore like Roxas?

"Roxas, what's wrong?" Axel felt the change in his mood, and gently lifted up his chin, looking into deep blue eyes. Roxas took a deep, shuddering breath, holding back tears.

"Axel…" For a moment he didn't want to go on, but the look in Axel's eyes was so gentle, so concerned. "I, I really like you. I think I might… love you." The tears were welling up, but he doggedly held them back as he spoke. "But you're an aethalmage… we… we can't be…" Then Axel's arms were around him, a hand running through his hair, comforting him as the tears began to flow.

"Oh, Roxas, shhh. Shhh." Axel murmured softly as he sniffed. "It's not like that, not really. The stories are exaggerated. Let me tell you a bit about aethalmages." Roxas quieted a bit, closing his eyes as he listened. "First off, there were a lot more boys than girls in my generation. We outnumber them maybe two to one, and the Tavodan line is going strong. If I don't want to get married, there's a good chance I'll never have to." Roxas looked up at him, hardly daring to hope, and Axel smiled. "And even if I have to, the stories are a bit off. There are special marriages that last just until a child is born, so the paternity is sealed, then are dissolved. The child is raised by the mother's family, with the father visiting. As long as you don't mind sharing me for a while… there's no reason we couldn't be together. She wouldn't expect me to give you up, and I wouldn't expect her to give up her lovers." Roxas blinked. That wasn't something he'd ever heard… but then, the tragic aspects of falling in love with an aethalmage made better reading. And it was probably a bit more complicated than Axel was saying. Still…

"Demyx was right, though. I'm only a street boy. I wouldn't know how to act." Roxas couldn't help the bitterness in his voice, and Axel's eyes flashed a moment before he leaned close, whispering in Roxas' ear.

"You're forgetting that I grew up on Penny Lane. I knew nothing when I went to school at twelve. I learned, and so can you… and what you grow up with is often what you love." Roxas swallowed hard at that. Love? Did Axel love him? Axel seemed to catch what he was thinking, and pulled back with a small laugh. "But that's getting ahead of ourselves. I've known you less than a week. Just don't dismiss it as impossible, Roxas. We could-" There was a sharp rapping on the door, and Axel's head turned as Roxas felt a kind of relief at the interruption. Axel frowned, then called. "What is it?"

"Are you two ever getting out of bed?" Came Riku's voice, clear as a bell. "Or are you going to fuck all day? Sora and I can hear every thump, by the way." Roxas blushed as Axel growled something uncomplimentary about Riku's personal habits.

"We're coming! Go to the conference room and wait for us." Axel called back, and Riku laughed.

"I know you're coming, the question is when…" Axel flushed at the innuendo and almost growled, pulling himself out of bed.

"The next time we train, I'm kicking his ass." Roxas pried himself out of the bed and pulled on his clothes as Axel went to the bathroom to wash up. He could wait until the aethalmage was done, then just give his hair and pits a quick rinse. He frowned at his clothes, though. All he had was the uniforms Axel had given him. Even with magic, there had been no way to get them clothes before they left. He wondered what kind of clothes they would get in Aerinos.

It would be interesting to find out.

* * *

Sora watched, fascinated, as Riku devoured a breakfast that he thought should have fed three. It was clearly just barely enough for Riku, though.

"You eat a lot," he finally had to say, as Riku buttered another piece of bread, and shrank back as Riku looked at him. The silver haired boy didn't seem at all offended, though, and Sora made himself relax.

"Family trait." Riku bit into the bread with relish. "The healing aethalmages say one of our ancestors mucked with himself, probably trying to make himself stronger, and ended up giving us great reflexes and strength at the price of eating constantly and never gaining any weight." Sora blinked.

"That… sounds good." He could think of many people who would kill to have that trait. Riku shrugged.

"Not really. Put us on starvation rations, or even just normal people rations, and we die fast. There's always a downside." Sora frowned, but decided not to ask how starvation could ever be a problem for an aethalmage. He probably didn't want to know. "Anyway, I might eat a lot but you should try eating." He poked at Sora's plate, and Sora blushed, picking up his spoon and trying the porridge. It was really good, filled with nuts, raisins, spices and honey. Soon he was devouring it, enjoying every mouthful.

Axel stepped in the room, followed by Roxas, and Sora looked up with a blink. Axel was wearing a shirt of soft, fine linen dyed a brilliant red that matched his hair perfectly and black pants. Roxas was in another of the green and red uniforms, and they both looked freshly scrubbed. Axel fixed Riku with a look that was less than friendly, but Riku seemed to be completely oblivious.

"I swear I'm going to hurt you." Axel finally said in a conversational tone, and Riku looked up with a sneer.

"Try it, carrot top. I know your weakness." He lifted two fingers and a small globe of water and ice formed at their tip. Axel's eyes narrowed and he snapped his fingers, a small flame flickering in the air.

"Fire melts ice." He growled, and Riku smiled.

"And water extinguishes fire. Can we get on with the briefing and lesson, or do you plan to growl at me all day?" Axel's eyes were hard with dislike as he sat down. Roxas frowned, sitting beside him, as Sora watched nervously.

"Stop acting like your brother." Axel snapped, and Riku suddenly stiffened. Sora was started by the sudden flash of hurt on the silver haired boy's face, before it was shut down. Axel winced, the anger leaving his eyes. "Sorry, Riku."

"It's fine. I suppose I deserved that." Riku said tonelessly as Roxas and Sora watched, confused. "The briefing?" Axel sighed.

"Alright… it's not a lot, since we don't know what happened to Luxord. But I have a bit of an itinerary worked up." Axel reached into his pockets and pulled out several sheets, handing one to each of them. Then he hesitated, looking at Roxas and Sora. "You two can read, right?"

"Of course!" Roxas snapped as Sora looked wounded. "We went to school until mom died."

"You should be more concerned about them reading your handwriting." Riku said dryly, looking his over. "What is the Salon of Inconsequentials?"

"Beauty salon. You need a haircut." Riku looked slightly offended, and snorted as Axel grinned. "And a pedicure and manicure and-"

"Spare me. I hate that stuff… I'll do it if I must, but you had better be going too." Riku kept perusing the schedule as Roxas and Sora struggled to make it out. Axel's handwriting really wasn't that great, but Riku handled it with the ease of long practice. "Lunch at the Grand Epicure. Why, Axel, I didn't know you cared… I'm guessing the House of Silk is tailoring? Good, I hardly brought any of my wardrobe and Sora and Roxas don't have anything. The Phoenix Egg. What is that? And why does this all say second day?"

"The first day, we can expect to meet with the Queen's officials and guards." Axel said seriously. "If something about Luxord's death is fishy, they'll want to talk to us about it first thing. Especially the guards. Luxord's reports said that he was good friends with the Master of the Guard. Apparently, they diced together."

"Unless he's the one who killed Luxord because Luxord was cheating… no, they would have told us the truth if that had been it." Riku frowned at the sheet. "Phoenix Egg?"

"Luxord's favorite club." Axel explained. "We should probably pay it a visit and see if they know anything. And etiquette lessons will start as soon as I find a tutor who can come to the embassy." Riku grunted and nodded.

"Good. I love their food, but I admit, I usually eat it with a fork." Riku paused a moment, then looked up. "Axel… I'm sorry for being an asshole." Axel looked a touch surprised, then smiled faintly, offering Riku his hand.

"I'm sorry for mentioning your brother. Peace?" Riku nodded and clasped his hand for a moment. "Well, that's the full extent of my briefing. You can get lost now, unless you want to watch me testing Sora and Roxas, then probably teaching them earth magic."

"I'll stick around. I brought a book, and this is the best place to read anyway." Riku reached under the table and pulled out a small backpack, extracting a battered, dog eared novel from it. Axel blinked, then laughed.

"You're acting like me now… okay." Axel turned to Roxas and Sora, who were watching him expectantly. "I'm going to test you to see if you have aethalmagery, earth magic or something weirder." The two boys blinked, and exchanged glances.

"You really think we could be aethalmages?" Sora said, a bit daunted by the thought. Axel shook his head.

"Honestly? No. For that to happen, both your parents would have to have had it latently and then the two of you got the expressive version. If it were just one of you, that might be possible, but both? The odds are poor. And besides, if you did have aethalmagery, it should have attracted someone's attention at puberty. Earth magic is far more likely." Roxas looked disappointed, but Sora was relieved at the thought. "Still, I have to test you. If I try to teach you the wrong thing, we'll all end up frustrated." Axel pulled out a backpack very similar to Riku's, then extracted a deck of cards. "If I were a healing aethalmage, I would just test you directly, but I'm not. Instead I'll use a divination. Unless Riku wants to do it the direct way?" Axel glanced over at the silver hair, but he shook his head.

"My healing is only battlemage level. This is all yours." He turned a page in his book, and Axel shrugged. He concentrated a moment, and Sora and Roxas could both smell ozone… although only Roxas felt a brush of fur across his face.

"Okay." He cut the cards and began to shuffle them. "Roxas first. Cut the cards." Roxas did so, and Axel laid a card in the centre of the table. "This is the card that best represents you. A major trump, the Child of Earth." Roxas looked at the card, and blinked. There was a child made of rock standing in the card, almost seeming to glare out at them. Its eyes were a sullen red. "The Child stands for the potential power of earth. It is a stubborn and strong card, but also stands for rage unrestrained."

"Earth magic then." Riku said, looking up, and Axel nodded.

"Dead certain, and probably a strong gift. Now…" Axel shuffled the cards again. "Sora, cut the deck." Sora did so, and Axel laid out another card. "The Mother of Earth." Sora looked at the card, and swallowed, suddenly blinking back tears. The trim, brown haired woman in the card, wearing a smock smeared with earth and smiling, looked irresistibly like their mother. Roxas gasped as he noticed the resemblance as well. "The Mother stands for nurturing and gentleness. This is also a strong card, but the Mother's flaw is that she often waits too long to act, and sometimes it is too late." Axel gathered up the cards, putting them away. "You both definitely have the earth magic. Let's begin with something simple…" Axel pulled out a small bag, and spilled a bunch of rocks onto the table. "Feel the rocks and tell me what they feel like." Riku returned to his book without comment.

The lessons would take a long time, but they had several days before they reached Aerinos.


	5. Zexion

Seifer stood at the dock, waiting for the airship to come in.

He didn't like Theradin. He didn't like their customs and he certainly didn't like their aethalmages. He didn't like a lot of things. But his dislike for Theradin was a pale thing compared to his dislike for what was currently occurring.

He was Master of the Guard. He hadn't been last week, and he disliked that intensely. He'd always wanted to become Master of the Guard, and he'd thought he would… he was talented, smart, dedicated and loyal. The only fault Cloud had had with him had been his lack of mercy and compassion, and Seifer had been working on that. He really had been. He couldn't actually make himself feel compassion, of course, but he could recognize when the situation called for it and give mercy when it was necessary. Even if he'd prefer just stabbing someone.

So Seifer had expected to become Master of the Guard… in due course, when Cloud retired. Not when he abruptly vanished to 'visit family.' If Cloud was visiting family, Seifer himself was a blind whore. He didn't even think the blond had family. And Leon had disappeared with him… logical, since they were lovers, but Seifer would have killed to have him there to get advice from. So now he was alone.

Except for Hayner. It was odd. In the past, Hayner had been his main rival for Master of the Guard, and he'd disliked him intensely because of it. But now Hayner was almost the only one he could mention his misgivings to, since he was damn sure Hayner was loyal to the Queen. In the past, he'd never have suspected the rest of the Guard… but he hadn't expected Cloud to vanish either. Paranoia was called for.

Seifer smiled sourly as the ship made its final docking. Everyone except for Cloud, Leon and Hayner had always underestimated him. They saw the muscles, the rough manner and his devotion to the Queen and thought he was a bit of an idiot. Well, they would learn otherwise… at the right time. But now he had to greet these aethalmages and see if they could find anything useful about Luxord's murder. Seifer had tried, but he was no investigator and the peacekeepers had promised help… and quietly did nothing. Which meant they thought high nobility was involved, the damn cowards. Cloud and Leon had disappeared after that death. And some others…

These aethalmages were the best hope he had of figuring out what was going on. If only he could trust them.

* * *

Sora and Roxas both gaped at their first sight of Aerinos, the land across the sea.

The city of Alecta was on the coast. Unlike their home, which was a cold, rainy place, the air warm and humid. The city itself was built out of wood and thatch in the poorer areas, and stout golden stone and wood in the wealthier sections. Murals seemed to be everywhere, just from what they could see from the airship. Pictures of flowers, horses, almost anything decorated great stone and wood walls. Sora leaned over the railing, trying to see more. Were those paper lanterns? He'd never seen anything like this place before. Then he blinked as he felt something beside him, and glanced over to see Riku leaning over the railing too, peering down curiously.

"I've seen pictures, but I've never actually left Theradin before," Riku commented, gazing over the city. "It's a bit… daunting." Sora could only nod. That was a good description for the huge city below them.

The airship came to a stop, and the crew started the unloading process as Axel swung easily down the rope ladder. Roxas followed him, then Riku and finally Sora. Soon, they were all on the dock… and a man with short blond hair and a scar across his face. He was wearing a dark blue and silver uniform. Sora slipped behind Riku as Roxas frowned… if Sora had seen this man in a club or alleyway, he wouldn't have gone near him. Despite his calm face, he seemed to radiate anger.

"Axel Tavodan?" His voice was rough, hard edged, and Axel nodded cautiously, offering a hand to shake. The man ignored it. "I'm Seifer, Master of the Guard." Axel lowered his hand with a frown.

"Seifer? I was given to understand the Master of the Guard was named Cloud Strife." Luxord's reports had given names and descriptions of all the key players. Seifer hadn't been mentioned. Seifer smiled, but it wasn't a pleasant expression.

"Unfortunately, he had to go visit family. I'm his temporary replacement." Seifer's tone was completely neutral, but his eyes flashed as he spoke. "I'm here to greet you and assist you in any way I can in the investigation of aethalmage Luxord's murder."

"Murder? I was told he died of indigestion." Axel said disingenuously, and Seifer's eyes flashed again.

"Spare me your sarcasm, aethalmage, and I'll spare you mine. It was indigestion caused by a fatal dose of poison." Seifer smiled then, a hard, sardonic expression. "Magical poisoning is a phrase that doesn't get into official documents. I'm not an investigator, so the scene has been kept as untouched as possible for you." Axel tilted his head to one side, gazing at Seifer thoughtfully.

"I would have thought the peacekeepers would have launched their own investigation." He said mildly, and Seifer shrugged.

"It lacked excellence." Riku frowned as Sora and Roxas exchanged a glance, wondering what that meant. "I'll show you to the embassy. I have a cab waiting." He led them to a hackney being pulled by two spirited white horses. It took them perhaps twenty minutes to reach the embassy, and Seifer filled them in on the details as they traveled.

"It was magic." Seifer said flatly as Axel prodded him. "The priests said there were residues in the room. And it would be the only way someone could have poisoned him without poisoning his companion, besides."

"A companion? There was a witness to this?" Axel asked, and Seifer nodded.

"Yes. He's worthless, though. He refuses to say anything to anyone and he's stopped eating. I was hoping you would be able to figure out what's wrong with him. I'd considered trying torture, but that's going a bit far on someone who isn't guilty. Besides, I'm not sure he'd feel it." Axel suddenly looked started, and made a small hm sound in the back of his throat.

"That almost sounds like… well. I'll have to see him to be sure. But definitely, no torture. What's the boy's name? Or girl's?" Luxord swung both ways and hadn't mentioned anyone in his reports, so Axel couldn't be sure.

"Boy. His name is Zexion." The cab finally came to a halt, and they all piled out, looking over the embassy. It was another mansion, but of a very different style. Where the mansions in their city tended to have stone sculptures and cast iron, this one was hung with beautifully painted paper lanterns and had a very large pond in the front, surrounded by water plants. They had to walk around it to reach the door.

"Those fish look big enough to eat," Riku commented, and Seifer glanced into the pool.

"They are. A bit taska sauce, or battered and fried, and they would be nice." Riku blinked, and decided not to point out that he'd been joking. Seifer clearly wasn't. "Which would you like to see first, his quarters or the boy?"

"Zexion, please." Axel was frowning as Seifer led him into the home. The servants quickly got out of their way, showing Seifer a fearful respect. Not surprising, perhaps… suspicion could easily have fallen on any of them, no matter how innocent they were.

The room they were shown to was large and airy, with all the windows propped open… but still had a faint smell, like sour milk. Axel grimaced at the odor, glancing around. Everything seemed perfectly clean and neat… the only odd thing in the room was the boy on the bed. He had nice hair, Axel noticed… an odd silvery purple, hiding one eye. At one time, he had probably possessed a delicate beauty.

He didn't now. Pale skin was drawn tightly over bones, and the blanket over the boy couldn't conceal how terribly thin he was. His one visible eye was staring at the ceiling, blank and unaware. It should have been a beautiful blue, but it was badly bloodshot.

"…Did I look that bad when I was in a coma?" Sora quietly asked Roxas, who shook his head.

"No. He looks worse." Roxas wouldn't have believed that someone who was theoretically awake and aware could look worse than a coma victim, but he really did. The nurses had at least managed to force feed Sora a bit, but this boy was refusing all food. Axel kneeled down beside the boy, looking intently into his face.

"Zexion." Axel said gently, but there was no response. "Zexion, I'm Axel. I need your help to find Luxord's murderers. Please, can you help me?" Nothing. Axel gently placed a finger on Zexion's forehead, concentrating a moment, and they could all smell the ozone. "Ah… damn. It's what I thought. Poor child."

"What is it?" Seifer said from behind them, and Sora started slightly at the sound of his voice. Axel looked up at him, his green eyes sad.

"It's a lifebond. You've probably never heard of it… it's quite rare, really." Axel looked at the boy again. "Aethalmages live hundreds of years, much longer than normal people, but we still fall in love with them. But there's a spell for that. The lifebinding shares an aethalmages magic with the recipient. The aethalmage won't live as long, and their power will be permanently reduced… and right after the spell is cast, the aethalmage is terribly vulnerable. But the other half of the bond will live as long as the aethalmage." Axel gently touched Zexion's hair. "Normally, if the aethalmage dies, the other half dies as well. This bond… I think it wasn't in place very long. Maybe only a few days."

"Now that would explain a lot. Someone took advantage of Luxord's weakness." Seifer commented, and Axel nodded, his eyes distant as he thought.

"Luxord must not have expected an attack, or he'd never have cast that spell…" Axel reached up, cupping Zexion's face in his hands. "Riku, come here." Riku frowned, but stepped over. "Get an electro-shock ready. The broken lifebond will have left a path for me to follow… I'm going to have to deep probe the boy. If I stop breathing, shock me." Riku paled, but nodded, and Roxas stepped forward.

"Axel, is this dangerous?" He asked, worried. It sounded dangerous. Axel looked up with a small smile at Roxas' tone. It was really quite touching.

"Very. He must be stuck in a memory loop of Luxord's last moments. I'll have to live those moments to snap him out of this… memories so traumatic they put him into this state. If everything goes badly, I could die. But it's the only way to save this boy's life." Axel looked at Riku, who was holding a ball of lightning in one hand. "Are you ready?"

"Ready." Riku said, his tone clipped, and Axel nodded before descending into hell.

* * *

_It was early morning, and they were having breakfast in Luxord's rooms. Zexion smiled at the handsome aethalmage and wondered, again, how they had ever ended up together._

_Zexion was no innocent. Sometimes a whore, more often an assassin, and sometimes both, he was also an excellent card player. That was how he had met Luxord… a truly worthy adversary in the game. Before long, it had seemed like they were always playing the same tables. Then the aethalmage had casually asked him to dinner. For lack of anything better to do, he'd accepting._

_Things had gone from there. Luxord was funny, charming and a surprisingly good man for a cardshark and aethalmage. Zexion had never imagined he would fall in love with anyone… but they fit together in every way. He couldn't imagine life without Luxord anymore._

_They had been lifebound for only a day, and it was like a shining warmth in his chest. Zexion had never felt so complete, so happy in his life. Smiling, he tangled his fingers with Luxords', enjoying the moment together. Then Luxord coughed, frowning, and reached up to rub his throat._

"_Lux? Getting a sore throat?" Zexion asked, a touch surprised. Aethalmages rarely got sick. Luxord drew a breath to speak, but then wheezed._

"_Zex." He gasped out as Zexion's eyes widened. "I can't… breath…" Zexion lunged up as Luxord suddenly lurched out of his chair, then collapsed, both hands going to his throat._

"_SAM! Get a priest, Luxord's having a seizure!" He shouted, going to Luxord's side and gripping his shoulders. "Lux, be fine, please be… fine…" His heart felt like it was seizing as he saw how blue Luxord's face was turning, the way his eyes were rolling back into his head. "LUXORD!" He screamed, the fear turning into panic._

_With a brutal suddenness, he felt the lifebond shatter. It was like he was a small planet, orbiting a great, wonderful sun… and the sun suddenly imploded, killing the planet not in fire, but eternal ice. He was vaguely aware of himself, holding Luxord to his chest and keening his grief, his agony, before the ice swept him into darkness…_

* * *

"AXEL!" Someone was shaking his shoulders. Axel groaned in agony, coughing and feeling like his lungs were burning. He opened his eyes to see a panicked Roxas looking down at him… and Zexion's head turned to face him, his bloodshot blue eyes fixed on his face.

"I'm… fine." He said weakly, managing to sit with Riku and Roxas help. Axel winced as Riku touched a raw spot… the electrical shock had kept him alive, but it had also left burnt patches on his skin. "Zex?" He looked at the boy, and saw the bloodshot blue eye cloud over, tears slowly sliding down his cheeks.

"The sun is gone." Zexion said, and his tone was heartbreaking. Axel swallowed, and pulled himself up onto the bed, sitting beside him and hugging the boy to his chest.

"I know." He said softly, as Zexion began to weep.

Crying out the pain and grief.


	6. Flowers are Useful

Sora frowned as he gently coaxed the petals of the flower to take a new shape. It wasn't as easy as it had first seemed when Riku had shown them, but he was beginning to get the hang of it. Sora spun the petals of the flower out into a beautiful shape, strengthening and changing the petals at the same time so they could survive. When he was done he was sweating slightly, but his flower was a beautiful confection of white and gold.

"Very good, Sora." Sora started slightly as Riku spoke… he hadn't noticed the aethalmage coming up behind him. "Roxas, you hardly seem to be trying." Sora blinked, glancing over at his brother's flower, and winced as he saw how the petals had crumpled in on themselves. Roxas looked up at Riku with a glare.

"This is so… useless! I thought Axel said earth magic was useful." He snapped, and Riku favored him with a long stare. Roxas stared right back, determined to not be intimidated by the silver hair. Riku had admitted that he was a crappy teacher. Was this really the lesson? Axel would have been teaching them, but it was only afternoon on the first day, and he'd had to go present his credentials at the palace.

"It is. Flower sculpting itself is only slightly useful, and it's the best way to exercise this particular skill. However, if you insist on seeing a practical application before you apply yourself…" Riku picked up a leaf, and concentrated a moment, slowly stroking it between his fingers. Sora blinked as the leaf seemed to change, turning a shade lighter and softer around the edges. Then Riku tossed it to Roxas. "Eat it."

"Eat it?!?" Roxas looked at Riku dubiously, and Riku nodded, crossing his arms and watching him. Roxas frowned, but took a tentative bite and blinked. "It's… sweet."

"Yes. That's why earth magic has always been a great survival tool… one of the best things it does is making the inedible edible." Riku picked up another leaf, stroking and changing it. "You enhance the natural sugars at the same time you weaken the bonds that make the leaf hard to digest. It's the exact same skill as the flower sculpting, but easier. And don't dismiss the flowers either. When he was a child, Axel would buy flowers, make them beautiful and resell them at a club for a nice profit." Sora blinked, and looked down at his flower. He could see how that would work. "Now, are you ready to try it again Roxas?"

"Alright." Roxas said, far more humbly, and looked down at his flower. "Uh… could I get a new flower, please?"

"Certainly." Riku said with a smile, and handed him a pink blossom. "While he's doing that… Sora, here's another thing you can do with leaves. If you enhance the water deflecting properties and spread them out, you can make a nice waterproof coating of them. And you can link them together…" Sora took to the lesson eagerly, and was soon making a little blanket of waterproof leaves.

"Riku?" Roxas asked as he concentrated on his flower, spinning out the petals. "I've been wondering. What's the difference between aethalmagery and earth magic?" He knew they were very different, but not how precisely. Riku glanced up from watching Sora's work.

"Oh… well. They're about as different as day and night, really." Riku frowned, thinking of how to explain. "Earth magic is all about small changes with living things, and the earth itself. Earth magic can't manipulate the other elements at all, or draw power from an outside source in most circumstances. But because it's all internal and ground energy, it's almost untraceable. Aethalmages can sense it if they're close enough, but even if they can, so what? It's so common that it's hard to pinpoint as enemy action. After all, it could just be a peasant granny enhancing the fertility of her fruit trees." Riku paused for a moment, thinking, before he continued. "Aethalmagery is the magic of the greater elements. We store power outside ourselves, in crystal reservoirs, and we can bind it into items or crystal lattices to make technomancy. We draw power from the ley lines to fill the crystals or for direct use, and ley line drains make ripples in the magic that anyone can sense. And while an aethalmage can use their internal power, it leaves a distinct signature in the air. That's how we know when an aethalmage outside the old families shows up… we can taste the awakening power. Aethalmagery is more powerful and versatile than earth magic, but it's not as deeply connected to the world. Does that make sense?"

"Pretty much. It sounds like someone with earth magic couldn't stand up to an aethalmage, though." That was an unpalatable thought, but not really a surprise. Riku nodded.

"Not alone. The earth priests and priestesses of Midora put up a fairly good fight, but that was working in groups… or with unwilling sacrifices." Roxas and Sora both looked up, surprised, as Riku smiled sourly. "That's something Axel will teach you about later. There are a few specific circumstances where earth magic can be augmented from outside." Riku shrugged. "Some ways are good, some are very bad. I'll leave that to Axel."

"Okay." Sora said, smiling as he finished his blanket. "You know, you're not really a bad teacher Riku." He said shyly, and Riku smiled at him, his aquamarine eyes seeming to soften.

"Thanks Sora. Maybe I've mellowed with age… the last time I tried to teach anyone was when I was sixteen and Axel asked me to cover for him. Calling them all lazy fuckers probably wasn't the best move, even if they were." Sora laughed at that.

"So does that mean we're not lazy fuckers?" He teased Riku gently, and Riku shrugged with a smile.

"Well, you're not. I haven't decided about Roxas." Roxas snorted, finally finishing with his flower. It had been changed to a vivid red, with white speckles. "Nice flower though. Let me teach you about beast taming now. Here's our victim… ahem, guest." Riku pulled out a cage with a small, fuzzy creature inside that hissed at them malignantly. Sora pulled back, daunted, as Roxas looked it over curiously. "It's called a pin-pig, and it's an herbivore, so start making some more of those sugar leaves. We'll use them as rewards."

Axel walked in as they finally managed to get the pin-pig to eat out of their hands. He was wearing a very rich outfit of green and gold, but looked exhausted, his skin tight around his eyes. He smiled wearily as he watched them working with the pin-pig.

"I take it the lesson is going well?" He asked lightly, and Riku nodded.

"Very well. They're quick learners. Is there some reason you look like you've been run over by a lorry?" Roxas looked up with a frown as Axel flopped into a chair, getting rid of his court jacket.

"You've clearly never seen someone actually get run over by a lorry. It's a lot messier. I've just been enduring the usual, endless courtesies and getting the complete runaround every time I try to ask someone a real question. This is going to be harder than I thought." Axel ran a hand through his hair, and sighed. "Oh, I met Queen Aeris and her fiancee, Xemnas."

"How was he?" Riku said curiously as Roxas slipped behind Axel and started kneading his back as Sora played with the pin-pig. Axel sighed, relaxing under Roxas' hands.

"Very polite, very charming and vaguely familiar. I probably met him last time I was here." Axel closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them. "How is Zexion doing?"

"The servants managed to get him to eat some soup. He's sleeping now." Riku shook his head. "I didn't have the heart to question him about Luxord's enemies. To be honest, I don't think he's going to survive."

"Probably not, but we'll do what we can." Axel looked over his shoulder at Roxas. "I'm starving. How about you?" Roxas nodded. It was very close to dinner, and they had been working a long time. Riku's stomach rumbled, and Axel grinned. "I don't have to ask Riku, the endless appetite."

"Ow!" Sora suddenly said as the pin-pig nipped his fingers. "How does pin-pig taste?" He said, eyeing the little creature speculatively. Axel laughed.

"Very good, actually, but they have to be aged. Maybe we could try one sometime, but not that one." Riku got some gloves out, and gently picked up the pin-pig, putting it back into its cage. "Lets go see what's for supper… it should be done shortly." The kitchen staff rang a gong to let everyone know that supper was ready, and it was definitely about that time. Supper turned out to be nothing out of the ordinary… chicken stew with dumplings. Sora and Roxas were slightly disappointed, and Axel smiled at their expressions.

"Luxord wasn't really that fond of Aerinos' food, so most of the meals here are Theradin." Axel explained, trying the stew. "It's nice to have a taste of home, so I think I'll keep it this way. We're going to be eating out most of the time anyway."

"The Grand Epicure tomorrow. I can't wait." Riku filled his bowl for the second time as Sora watched, amazed. He still couldn't believe Riku's capacity… especially since he'd had a snack just an hour or two ago.

"He's lucky his family is rich, or he'd have eaten them out of house and home." Roxas whispered to Sora, sotto voice, and Riku looked up for a moment. Sora blinked as he caught a quick flash of… hurt?... in Riku's eyes, before he returned to his food.

"S'not funny." Sora muttered back, and Roxas blinked, taken aback. But Sora had a feeling that family was a real sore spot for Riku, and he didn't want anyone to press it. Not even his brother. Fortunately, Axel immediately provided a distraction.

"Oh, you know what this woman said to me…?" Sora smiled, letting Axel's tales of the castle and its inhabitants wash over him. He hoped this would go on forever.

* * *

Sora followed Riku into his room without thinking, and was surprised when the silver hair suddenly turned, frowning at him.

"You have your own room now." He said pointedly, and Sora blinked, then flushed, looking down.

"I… I would like to stay with you." Sora said shyly, then looked up at Riku. Riku studied him for a moment, and Sora couldn't read anything in his eyes.

"You can if you want," Riku finally said. Sora hesitated. That wasn't enough.

"Do you want me to?" He asked, and Riku's eyes flashed with a strong emotion, too fast for Sora to read. Riku stepped forward and slid a hand through Sora's hair, tilting his head back and making him shiver.

"I wouldn't mind." He said as his face hovered over Sora's, his breath hot on the brunette's lips. For a moment Sora thought Riku was going to kiss him… but then he suddenly pulled away. "Just don't hog the covers."

"R-Right." Sora blinked, feeling a bit weak in the knees as Riku went to the bathroom to get ready for bed. He swallowed, realizing that he really, really wanted Riku… and had no idea how to go about it. With a defeated sigh, he started changing into his pajamas.

He'd just have to wait for Riku to make the first move. He only wished he was sure the silver haired man would.

* * *

"They painted my toenails pink." Roxas slid a foot out of a sandal to examine the offending evidence as Axel grinned and Riku sighed.

"I got purple and Sora got blue. And what are you grinning at?" Riku asked Axel, who smirked at them.

"I didn't let them paint my toenails, because I'm masterful." Riku threatened him with a glass of water, but Axel held him off with a laugh. "Now, now, you'll upset the matre de and then we'll get thrown out into the street like a bunch of ruffians!"

They were in the Grand Epicure, and it was already a rather grand experience. It was the swankiest restaurant Roxas and Sora had ever dreamed of. Swaths of cloth were hung on the ceiling, forming arches and giving the room the appearance of a very rich tent. The tables were of fine, warm wood and the china had a pattern of gilded lilies on the edges. There was no cutlery at all, which was a little worrying for everyone but Axel.

"Axel… we haven't had etiquette lessons yet." Sora said, worriedly, and Axel shook his head with a smile.

"Don't worry about it Sora. My dad took me out to a place like this when I was fourteen and didn't know any of the cutlery rules, and told me something I still think is very true… if you're paying a couple hundred munny for a meal, or more, you can use whatever fork you please. If it's free, now, then you have a problem." Axel took a sip of his water. "Which is why you'll all need lessons before I take you to the palace. The food is free there."

"Speaking of food…" Riku looked up as the waiter came with their appetizers. They had already had a little amuse bouche, several cheese crackers and a small glass of corn soup. It had been tremendously good, the very essence of corn. The waiter set down the trays in front of each of them, and put a bread basket in the middle of the table. That was mostly for Riku, who had already demolished the first basket handily. Roxas frowned as he looked at the food.

"Is this raw fish?" He said dubiously as the waiter refreshed their drinks from the wine bottle. Instead of sneering at his ignorance, the waiter seemed to brighten.

"It is abalone, sliced very thinly so you can see the rainbow in the flesh. Please, try it with the tatsi sauce or with the yakka. It is most delicious."

"Thank you very much, we will." Axel said politely, and the waiter nodded, smiling before gliding off to see to the other customers. Axel looked at Roxas with an impish smile. "Why don't you try the candy first?" He pointed to a brown little starburst on the plate. "It's very good, you eat it whole." Sora reached for his, but Riku grasped his hand before he could pick up the blossom. Sora looked up, surprised, and Riku shook his head.

"Roxas-" Sora started, but before he could warn his twin, he popped the brown starburst into his mouth. Roxas stopped, an utterly shocked expression on his face for a moment before he grabbed desperately for the water, downing it all in a series of long gulps as his eyes and nose started to water uncontrollably.

"Axel!" He half-shrieked at the redhead, who was laughing at his predicament. "You… you bastard!" Roxas pushed away from the table, heading for the door, and Axel sobered a bit, looking a touch shamefaced as Sora stared at him.

"I know, I shouldn't have, but it was such a good opportunity." He explained, and Riku shook his head, standing and grabbing a napkin.

"I'll go get him." Axel started to stand, and Riku shook his head again. "I don't think he wants to see you right now. Let me handle this." Axel blinked.

"You? You have the sensitivity of a warthog!" Riku stiffened slightly, and gave Axel a scathing look.

"Blow me, Axel." Axel's mouth fell open, then closed with a click as Riku walked out of the restaurant. He looked at Sora, who was cautiously trying the abalone.

"I'm managing to piss off everyone today, aren't I?" Axel sighed and tried his food. "Sometimes jokes just aren't worth it. Although it was hilarious."

"For you." Sora added, and Axel sighed again.

"I'm going to have to grovel a lot tonight, won't I." He wasn't looking forward to it, but he'd do it to make up with Roxas. And somehow, that didn't seem odd at all. He didn't want the brunette to be mad with him forever. Nothing would be worth that.

Outside, Riku found Roxas easily. He was leaning against the restaurant, gasping and rubbing his runny nose with a sleeve. Riku tapped him on the shoulder, and offered him the napkin as Roxas glared at him. Roxas blinked, his glare softening as he took the napkin and looked at it.

"For your nose." Riku prompted him, and Roxas frowned, shaking his head.

"But this belongs to the restaurant," he pointed out, and Riku shrugged.

"So? We can buy it if necessary. And it won't be the first time someone blew their nose in one." Roxas hesitated, then followed Riku's advice, using the napkin for a good blow. "I'm sorry about Axel. It's a low joke to play on someone who doesn't have a clue."

"Just because I'm a street boy and don't know about this stuff…" Roxas muttered, looking down and feeling resentment flaring. Then he looked up as he felt Riku's hand on his shoulder.

"It's not that. Tricking someone into trying yakka is almost an aethalmage rite of passage. My… brother did it to me when I was ten. I did it to my sister at about the same age." Riku smiled, a touch sadly. "Not that you should forgive Axel too quickly. Make him beg a bit. He deserves it."

"He does." Roxas agreed, and looked at Riku thoughtfully. "Thanks, Riku." Riku was… odd. Sometimes kind and thoughtful, sometimes cold and distant. He could see why Sora was attracted to him, but it was rather confusing. Riku seemed oblivious to his thoughts, looking at the restaurant.

"No thanks needed. Come on, let's go back. The rest of the meal will be superb, if you avoid the yakka." Roxas nodded, following Riku back into the restaurant, but made a mental note to himself to make Axel pay for this. And he had a few ideas of how. They mostly involved death by exhaustion.


	7. Submission

"I think that tailor had a crush on you."

"Shut up, Riku." Axel adjusted his new hat, favoring Riku with a glower.

"He did spend twice as long with you as the rest of us," Roxas observed, and Axel pulled off his hat a moment to run a hand through his red hair, before putting the hat back on his head. It was a dark brown, and really looked very good on his flame red hair, but he wasn't used to wearing it.

"That's just because I have more dramatic coloring." That sounded weak even to Axel, though, and he hurried on before Riku could make a comment. His silvery hair and aquamarine eyes were certainly dramatic too. "So you guys like your new clothes?" The House of Silk had been able to fit Roxas and Sora with a few outfits off the racks. They weren't tailored or as nice as the ones they were currently making, but they definitely beat the uniforms they had been wearing before. Roxas had ended up in black… a black, tight shirt, equally tight black pants and a white and black vest. It felt a touch revealing, but the tailor had assured them that it was in style this year. Sora's clothing was looser, since he hadn't completely regained his muscle tone, and his shirt was a blue that matched his eyes. Riku had stuck with the clothing he had arrived in… a white silk, sleeveless shirt and black slacks. Strangely enough, Axel had picked up a set of dark brown street clothes and his new hat. It was all very respectable, the sort of clothing a merchant might wear, but not nearly as fancy as what everyone else had gotten. Roxas vaguely wondered why… it wasn't the sort of thing he could wear to the palace. Something to wear around town maybe?

"It's great!" Sora said happily. He was very pleased with his new threads. "Where are we going now?" Axel was trying to hail a cab, with minimal success.

"The Phoenix Egg, Luxord's favorite hangout." Axel finally managed to hail a hackney, and they all piled in. "The Phoenix Egg, please." The driver nodded and flicked his whip, and the horses set off at a trot.

"I miss the lorry system." Riku muttered as the hackney bounced on the cobbles, and Sora could only agree. In Theradin's capital, the technomancers had created a rudimentary public transit system. The lorries ran on rails, and reached all the main parts of the city, even the slums. They made it possible for people to quickly and efficiently reach their jobs, and despite the crowding, they were far more pleasant to ride in than a cab. And everyone was always on their best behavior. No one knew for sure, but there were stories that the aethalmages had enchanted the lorries with some nasty curses that would catch anyone who damaged them. Considering what had happened to Roxas, and the expense that went into maintaining the lorries, Sora thought it was probably true.

"Me too, but we just have to make do." Axel sat back against the horsehair upholstery, crossing his legs. "At least it's more direct." That was true also. The great disadvantage of the lorry system was that the terminals might not really be that close to where you needed to go. But for most people, an hour long walk coming and going was a small price to pay for a steady job. Sora smiled sadly as he remembered his mother… she had taken the lorry and walked all over the city in her job as a carpenter.

"You know, why is it called the Phoenix Egg?" Axel commented as the cab made its slow way through the city. "I didn't think phoenix's had eggs."

"How else would they reproduce?" Riku said absently, looking out the window, as Roxas and Sora exchanged a look. Were the aethalmages serious? Did phoenix's really exist?

"That's the point Riku, phoenix's aren't supposed to reproduce. They immolate themselves in a fire and get reborn." Axel explained patiently, reaching under his hat to scratch his head.

"Then where did the first phoenix come from?" Riku's question made Axel pause for a moment, and he frowned as he tapped his forehead with two fingers.

"I don't know… wait, why are we discussing the mating habits of imaginary creatures?" Riku just shrugged and Roxas decided to speak up.

"You started it, Axel. Why don't you tell us about faeries?" Both aethalmages looked at him, surprised.

"Faeries are real though, not imaginary." Riku said, and Roxas mouth dropped open as Sora blinked. Axel grimaced.

"Very real. Extremely real. Excessively real… I still have a scar on my ass to prove it." He turned a bit in his seat, patting his butt, and Riku snorted.

"Only Roxas cares about your ass, Axel." Sora blushed, but Roxas refused to get diverted from the main point.

"Are you guys kidding me? Faeries are real? Like, elves?" He demanded, and Axel nodded.

"Yes, they're real. I'm surprised you didn't learn about them in school. If you ever meet one, remember to never, ever make a deal with them. Faeries will screw you over harder than demons." Axel said, glancing out the window of the hackney.

"Demons are real too?" Sora said weakly, and Riku frowned at him.

"Of course. Didn't you go to church?" He'd have thought that was common knowledge. Sora looked down as Roxas answered.

"We did until mom died, but… well, the pastor tended to froth a bit. We didn't take him seriously." Axel pinched the bridge of his nose. This was giving him a headache.

"Ooookay. Let me just give you a quick list of creatures that are real… the fae, demons, angels, psychonauts and genus loci are all real. Vampires, werewolves and most of the stuff you read about in horror rags are not. Got it memorized?" He asked them, and Sora nodded, wide-eyed as Roxas frowned.

"Yeah, but what's a psychonaut? And what's a genus loci?" He'd never heard those terms before. Axel frowned, thinking a moment before he responded.

"Psychonauts are travelers from up and down the reality stream. They're a bit like angels and a bit like demons… angels come from a very high dimension where demons come from a low one… but unlike either, psychonauts are not good or evil. They just exist, and unfortunately, when they try to exist here they have a way of making our reality crumble. Aethalmages evict them from the world whenever we find them. A few psychonauts manage to take on a proper body without damaging the world, but that's pretty rare. Genus loci is… kind of the aura of a place." Axel hesitated as he struggled to explain. "But it's more… the genus loci are weak in most places. You can't even tell they're present. In some places, they can be particularly good. Like a beautiful nature spot or a really holy church. Those places make you feel nice and encourage happiness and can sometimes be a spontaneous manifestation spot for angels. Now… the genus loci can also become tainted if something particularly horrible happens in a strong spot. When that happens, it becomes a magnet for bad things, and as the bad things pile up the genus loci get worse. One thing aethalmages do is find spots like that and cleanse them before they get too bad. If you ignore something like that, it can get really bad and start throwing up physical manifestations, even demons. That's where the stories about werewolves and vampires come from, from tainted genus loci."

"That sounds really nasty." Sora said quietly, and Axel nodded somberly.

"It is. It can get truly freakish, too. I once saw a genus loci that kept manifesting flesh eating dolls. It was ugly." Sora flinched at the thought, and Roxas winced as Riku just frowned, looking out the window. "Anyway, you're not likely to run into those, and if you do Riku and I can scent them a mile off. Actually, your earth magic will pick it up too. Genus loci don't hide what they are."

"We're here." The cab driver announced, and Axel handed him the money as well as a generous tip as they all piled out. Roxas blinked and Sora stared at the Phoenix Egg as Riku looked disgusted.

"And you thought we were silly for discussing the mating habits of imaginary creatures?" Axel asked with a grin, looking at the artwork over the door. It was a beautifully done and completely obscene depiction of two phoenix's mating. "Those birds look some happy."

"We gathered." Riku said firmly, taking Sora's hand. Sora blushed and smiled at him shyly. "I can see why Luxord liked this place. Lead the way, Axel." Axel grinned and pulled his hat back, walking up to the doorman. He gave them a quick look over, decided they were acceptable, and stepped out of the way.

Inside the club, the air was heavy with smoke and filled with feverish activity. Roxas felt at home immediately. This was a gambling den, a club where you went to play the games you knew you would never really win. Except some of the card games that depended as much on skill as luck, perhaps. Sora relaxed a bit too in the familiar atmosphere. They had gone to clubs like this all the time… it was a good place to pick up clients. Although it was a bit different than the clubs they were used to… the paper birds hanging from the ceiling were a bit odd.

"Ah, gambling!" Axel looked around approvingly for a moment. "That reminds me…" He quickly pulled out his wallet and pulled out a few large bills, passing them over to Roxas and Sora. "Feel free to enjoy yourselves. We might as well split up a bit, this place is safe enough." Axel could feel some strong protections layered around the club, and was certain no one would try anything here. There were better places. Roxas nodded and slipped off with Sora. Riku watched them for a moment, frowning, before going his own way. Axel was completely oblivious, making a beeline for the bar. Bartenders always had the best gossip, especially when you gave a huge tip.

"How much did he give us?" Sora checked the money in his hand and gasped. "Roxas!"

"Huh?" Roxas looked down at the bills and blinked as he realized he was holding maybe ten thousand munny. "…" For a moment, he felt almost angry at Axel. Axel tossed around money like it was nothing. It was so unfair…

"I want to play baccarat!" Sora grinned widely, tugging on his arm, and Roxas couldn't help but smile.

"That's a total crapshoot, Sora." He cautioned the brunette, who shrugged.

"So? It's not our munny, and Axel gave it to us to spend." Roxas winced, then laughed. Axel's attitude towards munny seemed to be infectious.

"Okay, anything you want Sora. Let's just not get soaked again." Sora blushed rosily as Roxas mentioned that. As street whores, they had often drank a bit to numb their pains, but only gotten seriously drunk a few times. One of those times, they had both woken up buck naked in a back room of a really seedy club. Roxas wished he knew who they had screwed, but had decided it was much better not to know. He had an unhappy suspicion that it might have been each other, and that was simply too much to think about. The thought had never crossed Sora's mind at all, either, so he wasn't going to mention it… except to make sure they didn't get drunk like that again.

"Of course not." Sora said firmly. "But I want a drink." He pulled Roxas to the baccarat table, where they began to lay their bets. A cocktail waitress stopped to ask if they wanted anything, and Sora, beaming, asked if they had a Funky Monkey. Roxas sighed, and decided to just go with it.

It was nice to see Sora so happy again.

* * *

Sora frowned as he looked for Riku. Roxas was watching Axel play poker, now, and quietly pump the other gamblers for what they knew about Luxord. But Riku was completely missing. He couldn't find the silver haired aethalmage anywhere, and had finally resorted to searching the back rooms.

"Ease up, sweety, you're going to like it." Sora blinked at that voice. It was female, very female, and sounded like bitter honey, sweet and thick. He carefully glanced into the room… and froze as he recognized the man being pinned to the wall, a slender woman with very blond hair holding him there expertly.

_Riku?_ Sora stared, wide-eyed, as Riku buried his hands in the curtains beside him as she fixed herself to him like a limpet. Sora felt a terrible pain in his heart. So this was why Riku didn't want him…

He was about to back away when he suddenly noticed something odd. Riku didn't look happy. Sora couldn't see his face, but he could see the silver hair's body, and the tension there looked like fury. And the way he had his hands in those curtains… was Sora imagining things, or was he trying not to hit her?

"Riku?" Sora stepped into the room, as if he was innocently interrupting them, and the woman turned, shooting him a poisonous look. But the look on Riku's face… yes, he was enraged. How could she not see that? Did she just not care? He lunged away from her as she hissed and tried to grab his arm, but Riku evaded her and gripped Sora's shoulders.

"Sora." He said huskily, burying his head against the surprised brunette's neck, and the woman behind him sniffed.

"Oh, is that how it is? Well, enjoy your cock, I'll go find some of my own." Riku's head shot up and if looks could kill, she would have been dead and sliced into a dozen very small pieces. As it was, she stalked out of the room and Riku drew a deep breath, looking down at Sora.

"Let's get out of here before I kill someone." He said, and Sora nodded, a touch frightened. Riku sounded completely serious, and he was still almost vibrating with rage. Sora was absolutely certain that he didn't want to see Riku explode. A normal person with that kind of temper was bad… an aethalmage in that state was not to be thought on.

They slipped through the club easily, and Riku pulled a small crystal globe out his pocket, sending Axel a quick message that they were leaving and would be at the embassy. The ride home was silent and uncomfortable. Sora couldn't think of anything to say, and Riku just looked out the windows. When they got back to the embassy, Riku almost dragged Sora into his room, and Sora felt more than a touch of fear. What was Riku doing?

"Sora." Riku said raggedly, turning to look at him. He examined Sora for a moment, his aquamarine eyes bright, then turned away, running a hand through his hair. "God, how can this work?" Sora blinked.

"What work?" He asked timidly, and Riku laughed bitterly for a moment, pacing around the room. Sora waited for an answer, but Riku didn't seem ready to give one. "Riku… why didn't you push that woman away?" That was strange. He should have been able to get her away physically, and if not that then magically. Riku stopped moving, hugging himself and closing his eyes.

"She was a talumancer. Couldn't use my magic." Sora blinked, and nodded. Talumancers were the Aerinos equivalent of aethalmages. They weren't at all the same… Axel had said that breeding between the two resulted in children with no talent… but the effects were close. "And… fuck. The bitch aroused me. But no one does that to me without my permission. Not anymore." Sora hesitated, then walked up beside Riku and hugged him from behind. Not anymore? Did that mean someone had treated Riku that way in the past? Riku gripped his wrists, the tension still evident in every line of his body. "Sora, I don't know if you can do this, but… I need you to dominate me."

"What?!?" Sora looked up at the taller man as Riku turned around. Had he heard that right? Dominate Riku? Riku shuddered, wrapping his arms around Sora and burying his face in the smaller boy's neck.

"It's the only way I can do it." Riku's voice was muffled as he spoke. "Don't ask why. It's just how it is. You'll have to pin me down, make me do what you want… please Sora. I trust you." Sora licked his lips, trying to think of what to do. That was a request no one had ever made of him before. If someone wanted that from a whore, they'd usually pick one with a bit of an edge, like Roxas. But Sora did know what to do… he'd had it done to him plenty of times.

"I will if you want me to." He said softly, lifting Riku's head from his shoulder and kissing him deeply. Sora hesitated a moment, then pushed Riku against the wall, making the kiss rough, demanding. It was a little hard since Riku was taller, but Riku relaxed, sliding down a bit so their heads were level. Sora pulled back to look into Riku's face, and saw his aquamarine eyes were soft and submissive. Sora swallowed, feeling a strange thrill… he'd never done it this way before, but now he really wanted to.

"The bed." He said, his voice shaking a little, and grabbed Riku's shoulders, pulling him to the bed. Riku went obediently, and they tumbled down onto the bed, undoing each other's clothing with the ease of long practice. Sora was a little surprised by that… Riku was clearly anything but a virgin. Sora pushed him down, and slid down Riku's body, gripping his erection in one hand. The silver haired boy groaned, tossing his head as Sora breathed on his penis, then slowly, sensuously licked him.

"Tell me how much you want this." Sora breathed, amazed at how easy it was to imitate his customers… and how much fun it was.

"Please Sora, don't tease me." Riku pleaded, voice breathy, as Sora grinned and licked him again. "Ah! Sora! Fuck me…" Sora decided that was good, and lowered his face, taking Riku into his mouth, running his tongue along his length. Riku gasped, arching up, but Sora held him down firmly with one hand on his base. "Sora! Nnn!" Sora pulled back, then lapped at Riku's tip, tasting him. When he thought Riku was close, he pulled back, smiling down at the silver hair. Riku was watching him, his soft eyes dark with lust.

"On your stomach." Sora said sexily, and Riku immediately obeyed, going onto all fours. Sora had been quietly thinking about how to do this, and if he took Riku from the front, his head was going to end up on the taller boy's chest. It would be a lot easier to maintain the dominance this way. "Riku, do you have any lube?" That was a problem, although he could use his saliva… Riku nodded, and pointed to the dresser.

"Top drawer." Sora pulled open the drawer and blinked at a few of the other things inside it. Leather cuffs and a collar? And a few other things that, for all his experience, he couldn't recognize. Sora put them out of mind and grabbed the bottle, using it to coat his fingers. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Riku. He carefully started to stretch him, easing in one finger, then two and slowly scissoring them. Riku moaned, dropping his head, his silver hair falling around his face.

"Please Sora, do it. You can hurt me a bit. Please." Riku pleaded breathlessly, and Sora hesitated a moment before coating his own erection in the lubricant. If that was what Riku wanted… he gripped the silver hair's hips, slowly, slowly pushing into him. "Nngh! Sora! Faster, oh god…" Riku panted harshly as Sora stopped moving, then suddenly thrust all the way in. "AH!"

"Tell me how much you want it." Sora whispered in his ear, and Riku moaned wantonly.

"I want it so much, please, fuck me harder Sora." Sora obliged, rocking Riku with his thrusts, and reached around him to pump him in time with the movements. Sora could tell when he hit Riku's special place… the silver hair gasped his name, rolling his hips back as his fingers dug into the blankets. "Sora!"

"You feel… so good… Riku…" Sora gasped out as Riku trembled at the pure pleasure, the bliss he was feeling from the shorter boy inside him. Sora gripped his hips hard enough to bruise, thrusting in even harder, faster, and Riku cried out.

"Sora, I'm going to-AH!" He came hard, his seed staining the sheets under him. Sora moaned as Riku clenched tightly around him, and released a moment later, his hot seed filling the silver hair. Sora stayed linked with Riku a moment, nuzzling his neck, then slowly pulled away. Riku's head was down, resting against the bed, but he looked up, blinking, then used a tiny magic to clean them both before sliding down onto the covers. Sora slid down beside him and saw Riku looking at him, his eyes still soft and pliant. Sora smiled, and put an arm around the other man, cuddling the aethalmage to his chest. Riku sighed, closing his eyes and letting himself relax.

He'd never imagined it would be like this with Riku… but it was good. Very good. Sora would always remember this night.


	8. A Brief Interlude

"What's that book you've got there?" Axel asked as they ate breakfast. Riku had brought a book to the table, although he wasn't reading it… that would have been quite rude. Riku glanced down at it and shrugged.

"A spy novel, with an aethalmage as the main character. I bought it before we left." Riku dripped a large amount of maple syrup onto his pile of pancakes, before digging into them. "I figured I'd take a look at it before the etiquette instructor showed up." Axel had managed to find an instructor who could fit them in, and he was going to be giving lessons in the morning while Axel was at the palace. In the afternoon, Axel planned to come back and give them another instruction in earth magic. Axel glanced at the book, snorted, and went back to his pancakes. Riku lifted his eyebrows. "What, you don't like spy novels?"

"I don't like spy novels with aethalmages in them." Axel looked into his coffee, his expression sour. "It's all how glamorous it is. Pretty women, lots of money, death defying feats… such garbage."

"Isn't all of that true though?" Roxas commented. From what he could see, that pretty much described Axel's life. Axel looked at him with a scowl, green eyes flashing.

"Sure it is. But they never mention the rest of it. Aethalmages dying in battle, friends dying, getting caught as a spy and dying in a cell… how hard it is to fall in love when you have to keep moving around, and most of the time you can't take your lover with you. Those stupid books make it sound like a thrill a minute, and it's not." There was a brief, surprised silence at the bitterness in Axel's voice. Riku broke it with a snort.

"You're in a foul mood this morning. I noticed you were limping… did Roxas make you butthurt?" Roxas coughed, hiding a laugh as Axel blushed. "Poor Axel. Have you ever been on the bottom before?"

"No! Now shut up." Axel growled as Riku laughed. "Ass." Axel shook his head, but looked at Roxas, their eyes met in a long, lingering look. Sora smiled faintly as he saw it. He was sure Axel really loved his brother, and Roxas was returning his feelings.

"Mind if I join you?" They all turned, surprised, at the soft voice. It was Zexion, standing in the doorway and looking considerably better, dressed all in black. Axel immediately nodded.

"Of course." He was surprised Zexion was coming out of his shell enough to eat with them. The young man had said nothing after they had woken him, except to confirm that Luxord had no known enemies. Zexion took a seat and snagged a pancake from Riku's stack. Riku just shrugged… there were plenty, and he wasn't going to make an issue of it. "Are you feeling better?" Axel asked gently, and Zexion gave him a look.

"Of course not." He said, his voice dull. Axel winced. "But I have a purpose now. I'll live just long enough to get my revenge on whoever did this to us." He looked up at Axel, and Axel swallowed as he saw the fire in Zexion's eyes. There was hatred there as deep and dark as the sea.

"We'll help." Riku said, meeting Zexion's eyes as the man looked at him. If Zexion's hatred disturbed him, he didn't show it. Zexion held his gaze for a moment, then nodded.

"I know." Zexion finished his pancake, then looked at Axel again. This time, there was a bit more life in his eyes. "I was thinking. About Lux's enemies. I couldn't think of anything, but I remembered something funny that happened about a week ago. I didn't think anything of it at the time and Lux didn't either, but maybe it was important."

"What was?" Axel asked, interested. Zexion paused for a moment as he tried to recall what had happened perfectly.

"Luxord was reading a book in the library… more flipping through it. I was sharpening a knife. He stopped and laughed, and said someone in the palace looked just like a guy in the book. I asked who, and he just shrugged and said it couldn't be him anyway, the guy in the book had been dead for a long time." Zexion rubbed his face with one hand, closing his eyes. "I didn't think anything of it. But now that… Lux's dead, I wonder if maybe he knew something he didn't know he knew."

"This book. Would you know which one it is?" Axel asked intently. He liked this line of reasoning. He'd come up completely empty in his search for Luxord's enemies… Luxord had actually made plenty of friends in Aerinos, from what he could tell. Zexion's eyes narrowed in thought.

"It was… thick, and bound in red leather with… gold lettering. I think I'd know it if I saw it. Want me to go find it?"

"If you could." Zexion nodded, pushing away from the table. He wanted to take care of that now. Axel watched him go, then commented quietly when he was out of earshot. "I hope he doesn't kill himself after we find whoever killed Luxord."

"If he does, it's his right Axel." Riku said, and there was something in his voice that made Sora reach over and grip his hand. Riku looked at them, their eyes meeting, and Riku's softened as he smiled. Sora felt his heart skip a beat, and returned the smile, his own bright and happy. Roxas watched them and felt almost jealous. Sora looked so happy.

_But I'm happy too. Aren't I?_ Roxas looked up at Axel, and felt his own happiness as a warm, but tentative thing. Axel was just too… too rich, too handsome, too everything. It was hard to trust that feeling. They ate in silence for a while, each thinking their own thoughts, before Zexion came back into the room.

"I think this is it." Zexion handed the book to Axel, who looked at it with a frown.

"A History of Theradin?" Axel briefly flipped through it. "So someone at the palace looks like someone from Theradin… that would make sense. Luxord goes way back. But who? I'm going to have to study this."

"Preferably not at the breakfast table." Riku said firmly, then blinked as Zexion stole another pancake. "Hey, can't you get your own?"

"I like stealing them better." Zexion said quietly, and there was such an edge of sadness to it that Riku dropped the subject. Had Zexion done that with Luxord? It was hard to say, and he couldn't ask.

The etiquette lessons took most of the morning, and were rather tedious, but all three of them paid close attention to them. Zexion watched without comment for a while, then wandered off. When the instructor was gone, Riku sighed.

"I hated these lessons in Theradin, and I hate them here. Why do the elites always come up with ridiculous things like ornate bows? What's wrong with shaking hands?" A large part of their morning had been spent working on the intricate court bows the Aerinos' favored. Theradin had its own versions, but they were a bit different so Riku had to learn everything a second time.

"You're an aethalmage, you tell us." Roxas shrugged. "I've always figured they had small penises and needed some way to distance themselves from the plebes." Riku choked at that, then laughed.

"That's as good a guess as anything I could come up with. Although I know for a fact that a lot of them don't have small penises." Sora blushed and gave Riku a reproving look. Riku shrugged, then put an arm around Sora, ruffling his hair with his other hand. "Sorry Sora. I'm not a manwhore like Demyx, but I've been around."

"That's okay. So have I." Sora hugged Riku, resting his face on the taller boy's shoulder, and Riku cuddled him close for a moment. "Riku, I love you." There was a brief, surprised silence and Sora felt like his heart might stop… until Riku whispered in his ear.

"I love you, too." For a moment, they stayed that way, Sora nestled in Riku's arms, and he marveled at it. It was so strange… how Riku was so submissive in bed, yet so strong and protective outside of it. Roxas finally coughed, and they both looked up, blushing slightly.

"Well, anyway. Would you guys like some lunch?" Roxas was starving and figured they would be, too. Riku nodded, his stomach growling loudly. If it had been up to him, they would have stopped for a snack hours ago.

"That sounds great." Pretty soon they were back in the dining room, putting together sandwiches from a good collection of sliced meats, cheeses, bread, veggies and condiments. "I love it when the kitchen does this." The spread let Riku eat as much as he liked, without having to ask the servants for seconds and thirds. Sora grinned as he put together his own sandwich.

"You're a bottomless pit." He teased the silver hair, and Riku shrugged with a smile.

"What can I say? I'm where doughnuts go to die." Sora laughed as Riku bit into his sandwich with gusto. "Hey, catch!" He tossed Sora an olive, and he promptly ate it, then tossed Riku a pickle. Axel walked in as they were laughing, and smiled, watching them for a moment before he started getting his own sandwich.

"I spoke to Seifer about the book. He likes Zexion's theory, he said that before he left Cloud mentioned something of the sort." Axel chewed thoughtfully on his own sandwich as the others gave him their attention. "He said that Cloud said there was something not quite right in the palace, someone who didn't belong. But Cloud couldn't tell who it was because it didn't show when he was looking at them, only when they were looking at him. Sort of like… well, nevermind." Riku winced. He could guess who Axel was about to mention.

"It seems like an odd time for Cloud to go visit his family," Riku commented as Sora looked worried and Roxas frowned. Axel nodded, his green eyes sad.

"Very odd. You remember all of our contingency plans?" Riku nodded.

"Wait, contingency plans? Shouldn't we know about them?" Roxas asked, and Axel shook his head.

"Not really. They all require an aethalmage to carry out, so it wouldn't help if you did. If Riku and I are both killed somehow, you'll have to think of something else." Axel shrugged fatalistically. "Not that they're likely to bother with you, if that happens." Sora paled and edged over to Riku as Roxas frowned at the red haired aethalmage.

"You don't think that's likely, do you?" Roxas wanted Axel to say no, but was afraid it would be a lie. Axel met Roxas' eyes, his green ones serious, and Roxas blinked as he recognized his expression. It was a measured worry that reminded him of his mother, when she had been confronted with a knotty carpentry problem, and for a moment that staggered him. Lies, murders and plots in high places… were they just like a carpentry problem for Axel?

"It's not likely something could get us both at once." Axel was unaware of Roxas thoughts as he answered. "But you never know. Seifer seems to be speaking carefully, as if he thinks someone might be listening, and the whole court seems off. There's been other disappearances. I'm afraid that Luxord's murder might only be part of a much larger problem."

"So we're in danger?" Sora asked in a small voice, and Axel smiled sadly at him as Riku put an arm around the smaller boy.

"Sora, I've known that since we figured out it wasn't a personal enemy that got Luxord." Sora paled and glanced at Roxas, who stared at the floor. He didn't have anything comforting to say. If someone was callous enough to kill Luxord over something he probably wouldn't have mentioned anyway… they were certainly in danger. The only question was how much. "Anyway. It's not worth worrying about, Riku and I have the plans well in hand. I have another lesson in earth magic for you, and it's a good one." Axel grinned at them engagingly, but it fell a little flat. Sora managed only a weak smile, and Roxas didn't smile at all. "Come on, cheer up, we're not dead yet. Let me show you…" Axel led them to the work room. "This is one of the greatest powers of earth magic, and you must never, ever misuse it." Axel's tone was serious, and managed to recapture their attention. "The penalty for that is death." Roxas and Sora exchanged a glance. Death?

"What is it?" Roxas asked, unimpressed, and Axel grinned.

"How to take power from someone else." They both stared at him, surprised, and Axel pulled out a small knife. "I'll demonstrate. Roxas, come here." Roxas frowned but went to his side as Axel made a small cut on his arm. "Put your hand on the wound, feel my blood. Feel the earth magic inside of me, and call it to yourself." Dubiously, Roxas put his hand over the injury, feeling the hot blood on his fingers. Then he blinked. He could feel more… it felt almost like the lessons in healing that Axel had given them, but it was different. He could feel Axel, but not in the physical sense. What he felt was… energy, life, something else. It didn't feel like Axel's aethalmagery at all… instead of tasting apples and cinnamon, he smelled fresh earth and tasted a faint, coppery echo of blood. Roxas eyes went blank, his hand tightening on Axel's arm as he pulled that feeling into himself. It felt… good. Very good. It was filling him up, and he wanted more…

"Roxas, stop. That's enough." Axel's voice was distant, easy to ignore. "Roxas, that's starting to hurt. Roxas?" A note of strain had entered Axel's voice, but Roxas only vaguely aware of it. "Oookay. _Roxas, stop. Let go of my arm and stand back._" Roxas felt fur against his face, and the taste of apples and cinnamon overwhelmed the earth and blood. Without a thought, he let go of Axel's arm and stepped back. Axel put his hand on the table, leaning against it for support, and Roxas blinked as he suddenly realized how pale the aethalmage was.

"I could have killed you." Roxas whispered, horrified as he realized what had happened. Axel shook his head.

"No, no… you would have just put me into an exhaustion coma. I'd have come out of it in a day or two." Axel grinned wearily, his green eyes twinkling. "But can you guess what the misuse of this power is?"

"Killing someone and taking their power." Roxas answered immediately as Sora watched, worried. Roxas had felt the temptation to seize all of Axel's power, and he knew, instinctively, that he could get far more out of it if the aethalmage died. Axel nodded.

"Right. Killing another earth witch gets the most power, but anyone will do. And that's part of why we conquered Midori, so long ago. The earth priestesses had always practiced human sacrifice, and that's not a very civilized thing." Axel took a deep breath, ignoring the cut on his arm. He used earth magic to mend things like that, and right now he didn't have the power to spare. "However, with you and Sora this ability will be very useful. The two of you are twins… you should be able to use this to pool your powers into one. Either with one of you in control, or a joint sharing. Let me show you…" Axel began showing them how to use the earth magic to work together, and Roxas listened intently… and tried to ignore the guilt. For a moment, he hadn't cared at all about what would happen to Axel. All he'd cared about had been the power, the magic under his fingers. Even if the aethalmage died.

He never wanted to feel that way again.


	9. Truth Unveiled

Sora blinked as he overheard Riku talking. But who could he be talking to? Everyone else was in the workroom. Roxas was practicing the earth magic while Axel was doing something arcane, and Zexion was practicing his knife throwing. Sora had been working on his earth magic, too, but had found he was getting a headache. He knew Riku had some herbal remedies for that…

But Riku was speaking to someone in his room? That was unheard of. The only one he let in there was Sora. Sora hesitated, then opened the door a touch so he could see what Riku was doing.

_Oh, a crystal!_ Riku was making a crystal message. Aethalmages, talumancers, and a few others could use the aethalmage communication crystals to pass on messages. Talumancers could even make something similar, although they looked completely different and were called ribbons. Then Sora blinked as what Riku was actually saying reached him.

"…I really love you Demyx." Sora's mouth fell open. Riku sounded like he was about to cry. "I, I haven't known how to tell you. I knew you wouldn't… wouldn't really want me, not that way. But I can't hold it back anymore. I love you so much." Sora backed away, his face pale, and suddenly bolted.

_H-How could he? He said he loved me…_ Sora felt like his heart was shattering, and as soon as he was in the workroom he threw himself on Roxas, hugging his startled brother tightly and bursting into tears. Axel and Zexion both stopped their own work, staring as Roxas yelped and held him.

"Sora, what's wrong?" Roxas asked, baffled and concerned. He'd never seen Sora act like this… well, not since their mom died. Sora had been wet for a week when that happened.

"R-Riku." Sora choked out, and Axel's head turned as he probed for any sign of magical attack. "H-He said he loves Demyx!" Roxas looked horrified, then furious as Axel's mouth dropped open in pure astonishment. Zexion shook his head and went back to his knife throwing.

"That bastard, I'll kill him!" Roxas was incredibly pissed off. He'd really thought the silver haired aethalmage cared for Sora. How could he just break his heart this way?

"Wait, wait, that's ludicrous!" Axel suddenly interrupted, regaining control of his voice. "Riku has hated Demyx for years! Ever since that incident at his sister's birthday party. You have GOT to be kidding. This is insane!" Axel gripped Sora's shoulders from behind. "What exactly did you hear? No, nevermind. We're going to iron this out right now." And Axel started propelling Sora to the door as the boy squirmed, not willing to let go of Roxas. Roxas yelped as he was dragged along.

"No, Axel, please, I can't face him…" Sora begged, and Axel shook his head.

"This has to be a colossal misunderstanding. If Riku has the hots for Demyx, I'm a blind whore. We'll get his explanation for this and if he really is in love with Demyx, I'll kill him for you, how's that?" Sora sniffled but let go of Roxas.

"Sounds good to me." Roxas said darkly, gripping Sora's hand as Axel pulled him through the halls. They found Riku in the obvious place… the dining room, putting together a snack and completely oblivious to all the emotional upset.

"Hey guys." Riku started to eat a pickle, then paused, noticing the attention fixed on him. "Why are you all staring at me like that?" Sora burst into tears again, and Riku froze for a moment before moving towards him. "Sora! What's wrong?"

"You are!" Roxas snarled at Riku, making him blink. "How could you use him like this?" Riku just looked baffled and tried to hug Sora, but the brunette squirmed away.

"Riku, Sora overheard you saying you love Demyx. Could you explain that?" Axel said gently, and Riku blinked again, startled.

"That? I'm just playing a joke on him… you didn't think that was serious?" Roxas looked at the aethalmage suspiciously, but Sora sniffled, looking hopeful. "Oh Sora. I love you. Demyx can sit on a bar and rotate." Sora giggled, a small, woebegone sound as Riku enfolded him in a hug. This time he didn't pull away.

"I told you it was a misunderstanding. Care to explain this joke, though? I'm really curious now." Axel couldn't imagine what joke would require a confession of undying love. Riku grinned nastily.

"Demyx has gone too far this time. He sent me a pornographic poem, so I decided to get my own back." Roxas finally had to believe Riku's story. The smoldering anger in the aethalmage's eyes wasn't feigned. "You know how Demyx acts when he hears the L word. It suddenly occurred to me that if I just pretended my hatred was actually undying love, and I'd been shoving him away because I couldn't face it, he'd have a complete fit. He'll be so guilty, thinking he's breaking my heart, that he'll completely avoid me. I probably won't hear from him for years." Riku sounded very pleased with himself.

"That's… absolutely evil." Axel said admiringly. "And it will probably work." Riku smirked.

"I know, I should have thought of it years ago." Riku cuddled Sora then, as the boy sniffed and burrowed into his chest. "Oh Sora… I love you. I would never hurt you like that, I love you more than anything."

"I l-love you too. That's why it hurt so much to hear you say that." Sora whispered, and Riku's grip on him tightened for a moment before Riku nuzzled his throat.

"C'mon, let me show you how much I love you." Riku whispered in his ear, and Sora's eyes widened.

"Right now?" It was still lesson time. Riku grinned.

"Why not? You can practice the earth magic later, after we go to the palace. Let's spend some time together now." Riku kissed Sora, and Sora returned it with interest, gripping the silver hair's shoulders tightly. Axel grinned, watching them for a moment, then slipped out of the room with Roxas.

"They're so sweet together." Roxas said, a touch sadly. "Will we ever be like that, Axel?" Axel chuckled, softly, hugging Roxas from behind.

"Sweet isn't really my style, Roxas." Roxas gasped as Axel lapped at his throat, then delicately sucked on his earlobe before nipping him lightly. "I prefer burning passion. Don't you?"

"Yeah, you have a point." Axel wasn't Riku and Roxas wasn't Sora. Roxas kissed him, and it quickly turned into a contest as Roxas shoved Axel against the wall.

"I'm not going to be on the bottom this time." Axel growled as Roxas went for his throat, nipping and sucking.

"Prove it, carrot top." Roxas breathed in Axel's ear, and Axel grinned, quickly turning the tables on the blonde and pinning him to the wall.

"Oh, I will. But let's try to make it to the bedroom." Axel gave Roxas one last, deep, intoxicating kiss before pulling him towards the bedroom. They were both oblivious to the person quietly watching them go. Zexion remained standing in the hallway for a long time after, his eyes clouded and dull.

_Oh Luxord. I miss you._

* * *

"Wow, this is beautiful!" Sora gaped at the chandelier above them, not caring if he looked like a provincial hick. Riku smiled as Axel grinned, and Roxas tried to maintain a slightly more dignified demeanor.

It was hard. The palace was incredibly beautiful. The chandelier Sora was gawking at was huge, immense, and was filled with dozens of candles and hung with crystals. The effect was amazingly beautiful, and neither Roxas nor Sora had ever seen anything like it before. The rest of the palace was just as beautiful… Sora gaped again as they were ushered into the main hall. An entire side of the room was nothing but mirrors, creating an illusion of space, and the other side was glass doors, held open and leading into the garden. The garden was full of beautiful flowers and water features, lovingly tended to by the Queen's gardeners. Roxas glanced over the tables set for supper, at the perfect white linens and silver utensils, and felt… resentful. He knew it was stupid, but it hurt, seeing so much wealth when he had always been poor. They took it all for granted, like it was nothing. It was stupid to feel resentful, though. The world wasn't fair, and trying to make it fair only made things worse. Roxas shook his head, dismissing the whole thing.

Just in time, as he saw Axel execute an intricate bow to a pretty, brown haired young woman. Roxas stared, surprised, as Axel took her hand and kissed it.

"Queen Aeris, you're beautiful as always." Axel said smoothly, and Roxas had to struggle not to stare. This was the first time he'd ever been in the presence of royalty, unless you counted the King's parade. Roxas didn't think that counted, since he hadn't managed to get anywhere near the front row. It was almost disappointing. Queen Aeris was pretty and seemed very nice as she smiled, but it was pretty in a girl next door sort of way. In fact… she reminded Roxas a little of his mother. That thought made him smile. Aeris laughed at Axel, smiling brightly.

"And you're a liar, as always." She joked back and Roxas blinked. She seemed to know Axel more than he had expected… but then Axel had been to Aerinos before. "Who is this?" She looked at Roxas, then Sora.

"This is Roxas, my companion, and Sora, Riku's companion." Axel introduced them smoothly, and Aeris nodded with another smile. Roxas remembered his manners and bowed as Sora tried to do the same. It was a bit rough, but they had only practiced for a single day… Aeris laughed, the sound as free and sweet as birdsong.

"You'll have to work on that. Welcome to my court, Roxas, Sora." She smiled at them again before looking at Axel. "I need to spread the love around a bit, but I hope to see you later Ambassador."

"Of course, my Queen." Axel replied with another bow, and Aeris nodded, walking away to meet a man with dark, tanned skin and white hair, with surprisingly yellow eyes. Roxas recognized him from Axel's descriptions… it was Xemnas, the Queen's fiancé.

"This is neat!" Sora was saying, and Riku laughed softly, enjoying Sora's enthusiasm. "What should we do Riku?"

"Well, I hear there are some plaques games going on in the back." Roxas smiled as the two wandered off. Plaques were an Aerinos game, very simple to learn but hard to master, and Sora loved it although he lost a lot. Riku was better at it, but didn't like it as much… he played it mostly for Sora. Axel snagged a few pastries from a passing tray and munched thoughtfully as he scanned the room. Trying to recognize whoever Luxord had spotted, those weeks ago.

It didn't come to him until after the dinner. He was watching the Queen and Xemnas together, laughing and cuddling, when recognition hit with the force of a thunderbolt and Axel stared. His hand clamped down onto Roxas' shoulder, painfully hard, and Roxas winced.

"Axel, what's… Axel!" Roxas hissed as he saw the look on Axel's face. Axel looked like he had just seen a ghost. Axel only realized he was staring when amused yellow eyes met his.

_SHIT!_ Axel yanked his gaze away, cursing himself a hundred times over. He had just revealed himself completely. He leaned down to speak in Roxas ear.

"We're leaving. Come on." Axel pulled out his crystal as they walked, and just tapped it in a quick, coded sequence before putting it away. He moved so fast that Roxas was breathless, trying to keep up. The majordomo frowned at them, but Axel just smiled at him apologetically before hailing a cab. "The Theradin embassy, and if you make it in under thirty minutes I'll double your fare." Axel said to the cab driver, who nodded and cracked his whip.

"Axel, what's wrong?" Roxas frowned at Axel. "Did you figure out-" He blinked as Axel laid a finger across his lips, shaking his head.

"Not here. I'll tell you later." Roxas frowned, but sat back, his curiosity beginning to eat him alive. The cab driver managed to get them to the embassy with five minutes to spare, and Axel paid up with a smile. Soon they were inside the embassy, and Roxas rounded on Axel.

"What's going on?" He demanded. "Did you figure out who Luxord recognized?" Axel took a deep breath, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. Zexion seemed to materialize out of nowhere, his gaze intent and predatory as he looked at Axel.

"Yes, I did, and he saw me. We are truly fucked. We have to get out of here." Axel pushed past the two of them, heading for his room. "Zexion, go get your stuff together, we're getting out of here." Zexion's hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Tell me who, first." He said, his voice soft and deadly.

"Xemnas. Now go." Zexion removed his hand, nodding, and walked away as Roxas stared at Axel wide-eyed.

"The prince? You're sure?" Prince was his title right now, as the Queen's fiancé. Axel nodded as he began stripping off his court clothes, replacing them with the brown outfit he'd gotten from the House of Silk. "That's why you got those clothes!" Roxas said, suddenly enlightened, then made a small oof sound as another package of clothes hit him in the chest.

"Right. Now put those on." Axel was stroking some kind of liquid through his hair, working it up and under his hat until only a tiny patch of it on the base of his neck could be seen. "There." Axel pulled a backpack out of his trunk, slinging it over his back. Roxas frowned as he looked himself over… his clothes made him look even younger than he was, like a child. "Right now, you're my son."

"Axel, why are you freaking out so much? Surely nothing's going to happen right away." Roxas said, a touch uncertainly. Axel seemed to be quietly spazzing out. Axel laughed mirthlessly.

"Roxas, I recognized him and he saw me do it. He killed Luxord just for suspecting, and I _know._ I wouldn't be surprised if assassins are on their way right now." Zexion stepped into the room, and Axel drew a deep breath. "He's Xehanort. I can't believe he's alive." Roxas went pale at that name.

Everyone in Theradin knew who Xehanort was. He had married the King's sister and plotted to kill the King to assume control of Theradin. Fortunately for the King, some very loyal aethalmages had caught wind of the plot and stymied it. Roxas looked at Axel, eyes wondering.

"Axel, were you one of the aethalmages who helped stop him…?" He asked, but Axel shook his head.

"Not exactly. I was involved, but only in the sense of doing whatever Demyx told me to do. I was only Riku's age at the time." Roxas felt a little relieved until Axel smiled grimly. "But I would imagine Xehanort remembers me. I was there when they chopped his head off."

"He recovered from that?" Zexion asked, his tone mildly curious, and Axel stopped with a frown.

"Apparently. He must not be human… I know his death wasn't faked." Axel paused, thinking, then swore. "He must be a psychonaut. Damnation! Come on, we need to go to the workroom." Axel led the way out, striding to the magic room. When he got there, he immediately went to the two tubs of dirt that had been moved in there. Roxas and Sora had been curious about that, but hadn't asked… they had figured it was something for their earth magic training.

But apparently not. Axel slashed himself, letting the blood flow into the dirt, and began muttering a spell. Roxas blinked as he felt both aethalmagery and earth magic at work… the smells and tastes mingled together in a rather sickening duet. Zexion tilted his head to one side as the dirt in the tubs began to stir, then rose up, taking two vaguely humanoid shapes. Axel's eyes narrowed as he worked at it, refining them, and Roxas blinked as the smaller one started to look remarkably like him. But they were still just… dirt. Until Axel snapped off three quick syllables, and they abruptly assumed a completely human form.

"Impressive." Zexion said slowly as he looked at the two naked, perfect copies of Axel and Roxas. "What are they?" He had never seen anything like this. Axel grinned, a touch wearily, as the two copies put on the court clothes he and Roxas had been wearing.

"Golums. It's a secret of mine, so the talumancers are guaranteed to not know about it." Axel looked at the second tub of dirt, and shook his head, pulling out his crystal. "Riku, where the hell are you?"

_Stuck in traffic. There's been an accident on the bridge._ Riku's voice came through, tinny but clear. _Do what you have to do._ Axel nodded, expressionless, and put the crystal away.

"We can't wait for them. We're leaving now." Roxas paled as he realized what Axel meant.

"Wait, we can't leave Sora and Riku!" He couldn't believe Axel was even suggesting it. Axel grimaced.

"Roxas… we have to. Our chances go down every minute we delay and they're not going to get back here for hours. They'll just have to try to get out on their own. Riku understands that." Axel wasn't surprised at Riku's ready acceptance of the situation. Riku had been trained at the academy, and understood how things worked. He was surprised at Roxas resistance to it, but realized he shouldn't have been. Roxas wasn't used to this sort of thing.

"Well, I'm not leaving without Sora. You can go on without me." Roxas said firmly, and Axel closed his eyes. He didn't want to do this, but Roxas wasn't giving him a choice.

"Roxas, no. I already finished your golum, and besides that, you would be much too easy to capture and question. You're coming." Roxas looked ready to rebel, but Axel closed a brown gloved hand and ozone filled the air. "I have no time to argue. You swore an oath to me, and part of that oath was obedience. I'm calling it in. _Be silent and follow me Roxas._" Magic filled the air with cinnamon and apples, fur and warmth, and the command was as irresistible as the sea. Roxas found himself following Axel silently, unable to do anything else, and he made a silent oath to himself.

He would not forgive or forget this.


	10. Sewers are Bad News

Riku was staying calm for Sora's sake. If it hadn't been for the terrified Sora clinging to his arm, he would have started swearing an hour ago.

He had no idea why Axel wanted them to evacuate, but it was enough to know that Axel thought it was serious enough to give the bail out code. That meant to drop everything and flee immediately. Riku wished he knew why… not because it made a lot of difference to their current situation, but because the information was what was important. Right now, if Axel and Roxas got killed, Riku might never know why. And that would be a frustration beyond endurance. Although the odds were much higher that he and Sora would be killed.

It had taken two long, grueling hours to get back to the embassy, and he could have killed the cab driver for taking that bridge. But who could have guessed there would be a three vehicle accident on it? Riku took a deep breath, maintaining his calm, and led Sora into the embassy. The first place he went was the workroom. If Axel had left a message, it would be there. Sure enough, when Riku searched the desk he found a tiny piece of paper in one of the secret drawers. If someone had been in here, they hadn't found it.

_Xemnas is Xehanort. Probably a psychonaut since I KNOW they chopped his head off. Get the hell out –Axel_. Riku closed his eyes for a moment, then passed the note to Sora as he set out for his bedroom…

And almost stumbled over wet, bloody earth, spread all over the floor of the dining room. Internal alarms screaming, he yanked Sora back just as a bolt of energy passed over their heads.

"Talumancers!" He made it into a curse word, and glanced around as Sora gasped. "More than one… come on, we have to go through the sewers. No time to get anything." There was an escape route from the embassy into the sewers. There was a decent chance Axel hadn't taken it… maybe they could make it. Although he doubted it. He only had a few crystal reservoirs on him and he was sensing multiple power signatures. He did his best to obfuscate them from power sensing as they ran into the cellars. The trapdoor was there…

"Peeew!" Sora exclaimed as they entered the tunnels, and Riku couldn't help but grin.

"You think this is bad? This tunnel has been disused for a while. It's actually an access corridor, not the sewer proper." It still reeked though. And the air tasted extremely stale. That made Riku frown, but there was no time to worry about it. "C'mon…" Riku made his way mostly by feel, since there was almost no light, and tried to ignore the squelching sounds under his feet and the way his shoes were getting soaked. Court garb wasn't meant for the sewers. They were going to stand out like sore thumbs as soon as they got out, too, but that couldn't be helped. They would just have to steal some clothing at the earliest opportunity.

For a moment, Riku thought they were going to make it. But then there was suddenly a shaking, and he sensed at least six energy signatures bearing down on them with malicious intent.

"SHIT!" He grabbed Sora, throwing him to the ground and protecting him with his body as the ground rocked and the tunnel around them shattered. Panicking, Riku did the only thing he could do… he created a hard bubble of aethalmagery, draining his reservoirs and burning his own talent with reckless abandon. Sora cried out in pain as Riku's hands clamped tightly around him, and he looked up, feeling the incredible tension in the silver hair.

"Riku?" Sora said, coughing as dust filled the air. A pain filled groan answered him. "Riku! What's wrong?"

"Tons… of rock… Sora." Riku panted, and Sora couldn't see it, but could feel the cables in his neck standing out as he fought against the intense weight. "I'm holding… it up. Sora. Earth magic. You have to… make a pocket. I can't…" Sora immediately concentrated, feeling the stone above them and following the paths of it.

It felt like it took forever, carefully adjusting the rocks around them to achieve stability, but it was actually only a few minutes before Riku was able to relax his shield and collapse, closing his eyes and gasping. Sora hugged him tightly, stroking his silver hair as tears slid down the aethalmage's cheeks.

"It's okay, Riku. We're going to be fine." He whispered in Riku's ear, and was surprised by a soft, bitter laugh. "Riku?"

"Sora." Riku opened his eyes, and hugged Sora to his chest, pressing his lips against Sora's cheek. "Sora… there's no air down here." Sora went pale as he realized Riku was right. All the tons of rock above them… he hadn't been able to make an airhole. And he couldn't think of a way to do it now.

_He's so young,_ Riku thought sadly as he felt Sora cough on the dust, then begin to quietly cry. _He's only fifteen, and I'm twenty-two… we're both so young to die._ They weren't too young to die. Riku knew, from bitter experience, that no one was too young to die. Riku felt his eyes burn as his own tears threatened to start, but he cuddled Sora instead, soothing him as best he could.

"It's not going to hurt, Sora. We'll just go to sleep, and we won't wake up." Riku said quietly, hoping he was telling the truth. He'd never been entombed before, but he was fairly sure that was how it went. Sora hiccupped, then hugged him so tightly it drew a gasp out of him.

"I'm just glad I'm here with you." As bad as it was, dying in a dark, collapsed tunnel, it would be a thousand times worse to be doing it alone.

"Yeah, me too." Riku murmured, and they just held each other, until they drifted off into a peaceful sleep…

* * *

Axel's lips tightened as he felt the explosion of power. Every talumancer in the city probably felt it, and he hoped that didn't mean Riku and Sora were dead. Either way, though, he wasn't going to mention it to Roxas.

Their escape was going rather well. Zexion's knowledge of the city had proved invaluable, and they'd polished off the pair of talumancers following them handily… and best of all, with minimal use of aethalmagery. Earth magic and a deliciously horrible concoction of Zexion's had made all the difference.

"You've assassinated talumancers before, I take it?" Axel asked conversationally. They were in the sewers now, beneath the slums, and the odds of anyone catching them were getting more remote. Zexion nodded.

"Plenty. I don't think that stuff works on aethalmages, though. I'll have to think of something else to use on Xemnas." Axel frowned as he thought about that.

"If I'm right, and he's really a psychonaut, killing him permanently is going to be very difficult… and a job for aethalmages and talumancers." Zexion just shrugged. Possible or not, he intended to have a go at it.

"I don't know how you can act like this when Riku and Sora are probably dead." Roxas said, bitter and resentful, and Axel closed his eyes. It was the fourth time he had said something like that, and it was grating on the aethalmage's last nerve. He didn't like leaving friends to face death, but it was simply necessary. The information they had was too crucial.

"Enough, Roxas." He ground out, but Roxas wasn't listening, his eyes flashing with rage as he responded hotly.

"It's not enough! I can't believe we left without them. I can't-oof!" Axel abruptly turned and slammed him into the wall, so hard the air was knocked out of Roxas for a moment.

"I said enough." The aethalmage growled, his green eyes flashing as he met Roxas' blue ones. "In case you haven't followed the logic, let me spell it out for you. If Xehanort gets away with this, he's going to declare war on Theradin. I guarantee it, since his last words before they chopped his head off were that he would kill us all. Thousands, tens of thousands of people stand to lose their lives if we can't do something. Do you think none of them have friends? Sisters, fathers, mothers… brothers? I have an oath to my King and country that comes before anything else. If you can't understand that, I'm sorry, but that's how it is. Now let me do my duty." He let go of Roxas abruptly, almost dropping him on the floor, and Roxas drew a deep breath.

"I hate you." He hissed, and Axel only looked at him, his green eyes full of a bitter sadness.

"You can hate me all you like. Just do as you're told." Axel turned away as Roxas fumed, his hands balling into fists. He wanted to hit the aethalmage, but he knew Axel was a lot bigger and nastier than him… which only made his anger worse. There was silence for a while as they walked, before Zexion spoke.

"I admit, I'm not sure how he would justify declaring war on Theradin?" Wars generally needed some kind of justification, and a cross-oceanic war would need more than most. Axel smiled sadly.

"This is only speculation, but… if he arranged for Aeris to die and put the blame on us, that would do it. She's loved by her people." Zexion thought about that for a moment.

"If that's the case, even if Riku and Sora have been caught, they may have been taken alive to use as convenient scapegoats." Axel blinked. He hadn't thought of that… but it sounded like something Xehanort would do.

"We can hope…" Although Axel didn't know if it was a hopeful thought or not. There were so many ways to torture a prisoner, but dead was dead. Roxas frowned, still furious but a little more hopeful. "If that's the case, as long as we can stop him we can save them." Axel quickened his pace a bit, gaining a slight lead on the other two. He had all his passive sensors ready, so he was confident nothing would get past him.

And no one could have been more surprised when a dark shape detached itself from the ceiling and landed on his back.

"AH-ow!" Axel choked as he was punched in the stomach then yanked around by hard, vicious hands. The cold metal on his throat and hand in his hair, yanking his head back, warned him not to move. "Roxas, Zex, run!" He managed, as the dagger bit into his neck a touch, beads of red sliding down his throat.

"Move and I'll kill him. And keep your hands where I can see them, assassin." The voice was female, sweet and dark like bitter honey. "Yes, I know who you are Zexion. If you try to dart me, I'll cut his throat from ear to ear."

"You assume I care." Zexion said, unruffled, but kept his hands where she could see them. Axel stayed perfectly still, wondering how the woman had gotten past his shields. He could sense she was a talumancer and he had only been using passive shields, but still. She shouldn't have been able to do this. "Who are you?"

"Larxene, personal talumancer to the Queen. She would like to know why aethalmages are murdering her talumancers." Larxene said pleasantly, and Axel swallowed, wincing as that drew a little more blood. Larxene was being none too careful with her knife.

"Funny. We were wondering the same thing… only the other way around." Roxas said bitterly, then opened his hand, showing her an egg. "This is a magic bomb. If you kill him, I'll use it." There was a brief pause as Larxene probed the egg and confirmed it was magical, but was unable to make out anything else about it. Axel had to repress the urge to giggle hysterically as he recognized the egg as his gag gift. How had Roxas gotten that?

"Interesting." Larxene allowed, shifting slightly to keep an eye on Zexion. "Stop moving, assassin. What are you talking about, child? The first deaths were two talumancers."

"Who tried to kill us." Roxas replied sharply. "And what's happened to Riku and Sora?"

"They died trying to escape through the sewers." Larxene replied indifferently, and Axel closed his eyes at the leaden silence from Roxas. The boy finally drew a deep breath.

"You can kill him if you want, I don't care. Just let us go." The words were like lead weights on Axel's heart, but he could hardly blame Roxas. He was too young to understand, and they had no way to save him anyway…

"I'll go with you as long as you let them go, and promise to deliver me directly to Queen Aeris." Axel said softly. "Xemnas is the cause of the problem." Larxene laughed.

"So self-sacrificing all of a sudden? Very well. That's-"

"Not a good idea." Larxene froze, her hand tightening in Axel's hair as he tried to glance over at the new, unfamiliar voice.

"Cloud Strife?" Larxene's voice was full of disbelief, and Axel blinked. Cloud? How could he be here? _This sewer is crowded all of a sudden… wait. How CAN he be here? How would he have known where we were?_ "What are you doing here?" Larxene echoed his thoughts.

"We've been following them since they left the embassy." Came the startling reply. "Can you let him go Larx? And Zexion, don't hurt her. She could be very helpful." Larxene hesitated, chewing her lip as she looked at Cloud. He looked like the Cloud she had known for years, although he was in a tattered, dirty brown cloak and looked much the worse for wear. Leon was behind him, leaning against a wall, and another man in a black cloak that hid his face.

"This could be a trick. If you're really Cloud… tell me something only Cloud would know." There was a pause as Cloud thought for a moment.

"Five years ago, we all got rip roaring drunk at the Yellow Dog and I woke up in the morning with you in my bed. And my first words were, oh fuck, what have I done? Just before I ran to the toilet to puke. Does that ring any bells?" He said pleasantly, and Larxene laughed loud and long. Axel blinked as the knife vanished from his throat, her hand leaving his hair. He fell to his knees, rubbing his neck for a moment before struggling to his feet.

"That's the Cloud I know and love. You were a total asshole about that, by the way." Cloud shrugged and Larxene chuckled again. "Well. Tell me what's going on, lover boy. I'm all ears."

"I'm not entirely sure." Cloud admitted. "But after someone tried to assassinate me and Leon, we decided that faking our deaths was the best way out. Xigbar here was a good friend of Luxord's, and when Luxord died, he decided to join us down here."

"Even though it smells like ass. Hi Larxene." He waved at her in a desultory fashion, and she sneered at him.

"Hi Xiggy. Still playing with guns all the time, or have you actually figured out how to use a ribbon?" She asked, and he sneered right back as he pushed back his hood. Axel blinked at the scars and the eyepatch. The man looked like a pirate, but he felt like a talumancer, and a powerful one.

"Fuck you, bitch." He replied conversationally, before looking at Axel. "You forgot to update Luxord's safe list. I was on it. I've been keeping a really close eye on you guys since you got here." Axel winced, then frowned. He hadn't been told Luxord had a safe list, a list of people who could come and go out of his defenses without permission. "But I kinda burnt his papers on that, so yeah. Just make sure you check for that next time."

"Thanks for the tip." Axel said dryly, then turned to look at Larxene. "How did you get past my defenses so easily? And find us, for that matter?" Larxene lifted a bag that was hanging around her neck, then dumped the contents onto the ground. Axel blinked at the bloody dirt.

"You used your own blood to make those golums. Pretty clever, but your blood and magic were all over them. Easy to trace back if you're good with the law of contagion, and I'm the best. And just the thing to key an attack with." Larxene said with no modesty. Axel winced, running a hand through his hair. It felt absolutely terrible and, after the stuff he had put into it and jamming his hat over it, probably looked like a badger was assaulting his head.

"Great. I thought those golums were so clever, too. Another idea bites the dust." Larxene shrugged.

"They were clever. They bought you about an hour before someone shot them. They just have drawbacks." Axel nodded, but he thought the drawbacks would outweigh any possible advantages. "Now, do you nutbars know what's going on?"

"Unfortunately, we do." Zexion said quietly. "Xemnas is actually Xehanort, the traitor of Theradin." There was a brief, surprised pause before Leon whistled softly.

"I never liked him, but I never would have guessed that." He commented, and Cloud nodded, blue eyes thoughtful. Larxene's shoulders suddenly slumped, and Axel looked at her curiously.

"My poor Aeris." She said softly, and Axel winced. He wondered, suddenly… did the blond, female talumancer care for Aeris as more than her Queen? He wasn't going to ask. "That bastard. He's courted her for a year. Lying the whole damn time." She didn't seem to doubt them at all, and Axel suddenly had the feeling that while Xemnas had been charming to Aeris, his act had been a little more threadbare with everyone else. They probably hadn't mentioned it to the Queen because, well, what could you say? I don't like your fiancé? It would require more than that for someone to speak up to the Queen. "Didn't you chop off his head though? And display it on a spike outside the palace?"

"No, we buried it." Axel said dryly. "But yes, we did chop his head off. I think he might be a psychonaut, one of the ones that can make stable bodies." Larxene's lips pursed in a soundless whistle.

"Oh that's nasty. Those are a bitch." She bounced her dagger thoughtfully. "No one knows where I am. I'll go with you guys… they'll probably figure I've bought it when I don't come back. So, I'm assuming you guys have a hangout somewhere down here?"

"We do. It's a few hours away." Cloud said with a nod. "We'll take you there. We can get some sleep, something to eat and make plans." Axel nodded. They had been on the run for hours, and had been awake the whole day before that. Exhaustion was beginning to set in. He followed Cloud as the other man led the way, and tried to ignore the hot, angry looks Roxas was giving him as much as possible.

Roxas wasn't going to forgive him, and Axel didn't expect it.


	11. Lessons of the Past

Riku felt like he was floating. He was warm, content, comfortable… although there was something cold on his neck. That was annoying. But then the pleasure started, taking his attention away from that. Someone was touching him in a way that was achingly familiar. Hot hands, sliding down his chest, over his stomach until they found the ache between his thighs…

"Sora." Riku murmured, eyes still closed. Surely they were both in heaven… then suddenly, something pinched him viciously. "Ow!" Riku awoke fully with a start, blinking as he tried to understand what was happening. There was someone on top of him, someone much too big to be Sora. "What…?!?" He tried to struggle, and the chain around his neck tightened abruptly, choking him until he stopped moving. The naked man over him had the end of it coiled around one fist, and Riku looked up, shocked and in pain, meeting amused yellow eyes.

"Look around," The man suggested, his voice amused, and Riku slowly glanced around the room. It was a very beautiful room, well furnished, and he was lying on a large, plush bed. But Riku's gaze was immediately drawn to Sora. His lover was chained to the wall by a cuff on his neck and a long chain, and he was completely naked. He was bruised in places, and his skin was reddened in spots that made Riku swallow hard. Sora was watching them, his blue eyes wide and filled with silent tears.

"Sora!" Riku tried to jump off the bed… but the chain caught him as the man holding it laughed. Riku tried to call up his aethalmagery, then the earth magic, but it was like there was a glass pane in his mind. He knew the powers were there, he could feel them, but he couldn't reach them. He gasped and eased back, looking at the man on the bed. "…Xehanort?" Riku swallowed, going pale as he remembered what Axel had written in his note. "You're a psychonaut." Xehanort laughed, gently touching his cheek. Riku flinched away from the touch.

"Indeed. And you should be glad I am. No one else could have reached you in time to save you… but for me, reality is sometimes optional." He waved his hand down… and through the bed, as if the bed wasn't there at all. Riku swallowed again as he saw that. The problem with psychonauts who could manage a stable body was that reality was often their toy, and they had all kinds of unexpected and unpleasant abilities. And they usually looked at people as hardly better than bugs. "I was so pleased when I saw you had been sent here, Riku. I've wanted to get to know you for some time." Riku blinked, looking at him uncomprehendingly. He'd been too young to be involved, when Xehanort lost his head. "Kadaj told me so much about you." Riku went dead white at the mention of that name.

"You… how did you know my brother?" Riku demanded, his voice shaking, and Xehanort smiled, a flash of white teeth against tanned skin.

"Oh, I knew him since he was a child. I taught him everything he knew. He bragged about how well he had you trained… I think I would like to see the things he taught you." Xehanort purred, and Riku panicked completely. He jumped out of the bed, ignoring how the chain choked him, and struggled frantically to get away.

"Riku!" Sora cried as he saw how blue Riku's face was turning. The aethalmage was going to choke himself unconscious with his struggles. Xehanort only watched, impassive, tightening his grip on the chain for a moment before he spoke.

"If you pass out, I'll have to use your little friend again." Riku froze as he smiled, and Sora shivered. "I've already tasted him, but only in passing… but if you refuse to cooperate, I'll play with him. He's a bit old for it, but he might be trainable." Riku shook his head, and slid back onto the bed, the chain slackening around his neck.

"No, please. I'll do anything you want. Just leave him alone." Riku said shakily. Xehanort smiled, and slowly traced Riku's cheek with one finger.

"Then let's start with the basics." Then his hand suddenly wound through Riku's hair, yanking the silver hair back painfully. "And remember what you're supposed to call me."

"Master." Riku whispered, his eyes soft and submissive… and bright with held back tears. Sora watched, horrified, as Xehanort pulled down the silver hair's head.

"Very good, pet. You may begin." Sora closed his eyes, hands over his ears as he tried to block out what was happening on the bed. The soft sucking sounds seemed to go on forever… but when Riku cried out in mingled pleasure and pain, he had to look up. He shivered as Xehanort slid into the silver haired boy, then blinked. Riku seemed to… be really enjoying it. Except for the tears sliding down his face. Sora looked down as Riku cried out again, his back arching as the white haired man did something to him. The sounds of them moving together seemed to go on forever…

"Master, can I?" He asked breathily. Xehanort watched him, a strange, amused detachment in his eyes even as he sped up his rhythm, making Riku gasp and the tears fall faster.

"Not just yet." Riku panted, eyes glazing over as the pleasure reached a painful peak, the tension in his penis and warmth curling in his belly just begging for release… but he couldn't. Not until Xehanort allowed it. Riku cried out again as the other man hit his special place again and again. It was such sweet torture.

"Master, please! Please!" He hated begging, and hated even more that Sora could hear him… but he _needed_ it, needed the release. No matter how much he hated it or how much he hated Xehanort for doing this to him.

Sora couldn't take his eyes away from what was happening, now, although he wanted to. Riku was begging, pleading, moaning and flushed with the pleasure. It was so… Sora swallowed, realizing he was reacting a bit to the sight. But Riku was so beautiful, and despite how good their sex had been, he'd never managed to melt Riku into a puddle like this… but tears were still sliding down Riku's face. Then Xehanort whispered something in Riku's ear, and he cried out, arching as he finally released. Xehanort laughed, and ran his fingers through the sticky whiteness before bringing them to Riku's face.

"Clean it off." He said softly, and Riku complied immediately, slowly and sensuously licking his master's fingers. "Very good, pet. I'm beginning to see why Kadaj tried to keep you around, the fool. Well… we'll explore your more advanced training later." Riku made a sound that could have been a short, muffled sob, and Xehanort smiled, standing and taking him over to where Sora was chained. A similar chain was fixed onto Riku's throat, and he pulled away the silver choke chain. "Later, children." And the psychonaut vanished into thin air, teleporting away… or perhaps he had never been there at all.

"Riku…" Sora started, then stopped as Riku buried his face in his hands. "Riku!" Sora put his arms around the silver haired man, feeling him shake. "Riku?"

"Now you know… how much of a slut I am…" Riku whispered brokenly, and Sora's eyes widened.

"You are not! You stopped him from… from doing more to me." Sora swallowed as he remembered the rough sex he had awoken to. It hadn't been the worst he'd ever had by a longshot, but it hadn't been good. Riku looked up, blinking as he remembered what the man had said about tasting Sora.

"Sora… he hurt you? Are you alright?" Pulled out of his misery, Riku examined Sora carefully and was relieved to see only a few bruises and reddened places. Sora smiled faintly.

"Only a little. He said he was just passing the time before you woke up." Riku looked stricken, and Sora hugged him tightly. "I'm okay, really. Riku… who is Kadaj?" Riku shuddered at the name, but drew a deep breath.

"My brother…. I guess you have the right to know. Since he seems to know everything, and he's going to use it against me." Riku closed his eyes for a long moment, finding the will to tell Sora the truth. Sora just hugged him close, trying to give comfort. "Kadaj was my older brother. A lot older… mom and dad were in a long term marriage, even though they hated each other. It was a family thing…" Riku paused, sniffing, before he continued. "He taught me to… to lick the lollipop when I was four."

"Four?" Sora said, appalled. Even in the slums, there were some standards. They didn't care too much about the age of consent, but even in the slums, four was just too young. Riku nodded, burying his head against Sora's neck for a moment before he continued, his voice trembling.

"Mom… didn't notice, or didn't care. She was addicted to Dusk." Sora winced at the mention of that drug. It was a particularly potent drug that could lead to mood swings and violence in chronic users. "Kadaj… sometimes… he protected me from her. She even broke his nose once. I th-thought… he was the best brother…" Riku let out a harsh sob, and Sora ran a hand through his hair, soothing him. "Dad was… never home. Not his fault. He was a secret agent… like Axel, but even more, since he wasn't a technomancer. And he hated mom. He would come home and we'd go to his house for a while, and then he'd be gone again." Riku swallowed, wishing for some water, then blinked as he glanced around. There was a bathroom, and the chains would let them reach it. "I'm going to get a glass of water, okay?" He really needed it. Sora nodded.

"Okay." Riku walked to the bathroom, his chain clinking, and wished desperately for clothes. But he didn't think they would be getting any. Fortunately, there were glasses in the bathroom and he quickly filled one before going back to Sora. The distraction helped settle him, and he continued the story in an almost normal tone of voice.

"All my childhood, Kadaj trained me. He used punishment, rewards and magic to make me his devoted slave. And I was." Riku took a deep swallow of the water, blinking back tears. "By the time I was eight, he did everything with me… everything… and I thought it was normal. He was my god, and I thought it was normal to sleep with your brother and… everything. I only realized it wasn't when… when they mentioned incest in school, and I figured out they were talking about me and Kadaj. And I realized it wasn't normal to f-fuck your brother." Sora felt almost paralyzed as the story unfolded. He'd thought he and Roxas had a hard life… but this was worse. Much worse. "I tried to ask him about it and he p-punished me and I… I knew the teachers were right. It wasn't normal to be your brother's sex slave. But I… I couldn't think of what else to do. And then my sister was born." Riku paused, and a faint smile crossed his lips. "She's so cute… you'd like her. She's twelve now. Her name is Chappi, but I call her Chipmunk. She's always chattering." Riku dwelled on thoughts of his sister for a moment, before returning to the story. "Mom hated her, said she was too loud… I tried to protect her from mom and Kadaj. I… I was afraid he was going to use her too, but I figured if I was there he'd just stay with me. But when… she was four and I was fourteen… she mentioned a game she was playing with Kadaj. And I knew." Riku's voice roughened, and Sora hugged him again. "I knew what he was going to do. I had to do something. They'd taught me in school that ultimate justice came from the King, so when mom took us to the palace for a special dinner I… I went right to the King's room and demanded to see him."

"You did?!?" Sora blinked. Even for a child of aethalmage's, he couldn't imagine the strength it must have taken to go and demand that. Riku chuckled softly and sadly.

"I was terrified and the guards stopped me right away. But I put up a huge stink, and the King heard the ruckus and came out. King Ansem has a soft spot for kids… he asked me what was the matter, and I told him. I told him everything." Riku rubbed his face with one hand. "He was so angry, Sora. He took me to the mind healers right away, and stopped mom and Kadaj from leaving the palace. Kadaj… everyone thinks he was sent to the Susiji and caught a blood disease there, but he didn't. He died that day. Mom got sent to a hospice for the insane."

"So Axel doesn't know?" That relieved Sora. If Axel HAD known about Riku's past, his comments about acting like his brother would have been unbearably cruel. Riku shook his head.

"No, he doesn't. All he knows is that he went to school with Kadaj and hated him. Which proves Axel's a pretty good judge of character, I guess." Riku took a deep breath. He wanted to finish the story. "Anyway… King Ansem recalled dad, Sephiroth, to the palace and told him that his only job now was to take care of us. Dad set me down and told me he was sorry he hadn't been there for us, and it was probably too late for him to be a father to me, but we could be friends. And he was so p-proud of me for saving my sister." Riku smiled weakly, through the tears in his eyes. "It meant a lot to me, hearing him say that."

"He sounds nice," Sora said softly, and Riku laughed.

"He's not really nice, but he's… honorable. And he knows he's not nice, so he got Chappie an unbearably nice nursemaid to be a substitute mother. She's coming out normal, mostly. And I'm…" Riku swallowed a bit of water. "I'm not normal. The mind healers did their best, but… they said Kadaj had me too long. They did a lot for me, but I still react to… to the way he treated me. I can't help it. I feel like… like such a dirty slut sometimes, but I can't be anything else…"

"You are not a slut!" Sora said fiercely, startling Riku out of his own feelings as he hugged the taller boy fiercely. "You're Riku. I love you just the way you are. It's not your fault your brother was sick." Then Riku's arms encircled him, and aethalmage whispered in his ear.

"Thank you." They held each other like that for a long moment, then the door swung open with a creak. They both looked up, surprised, as a young woman with short brown hair stepped into the room. She was carrying a tray of food and was wearing an iron collar, and her eyes were so cold, so empty. With wordless efficiency, she handed Sora a bowl of soup and a piece of bread, and the same to Riku. Then she walked out. Neither one of them was tempted to speak to her.

"Oh good." Sora said in relief as he bit into the bread. He was starving, and the soup smelled good. Then he noticed that Riku was just looking at the bread in his hands, expressionless. "Riku?" Sora suddenly paled as he remembered what Riku had said…

_Put us on starvation rations, or even normal people rations, and we die fast._

"Riku." Sora breathed, feeling like his heart was seizing. "How… how long can you…?" Riku looked up with a bitter smile.

"If he doesn't give me a lot more than this… three days. Maybe four." Riku looked down at the bread again. "But don't worry, Sora. If he taught Kadaj, then he knows about my metabolism. I bet this is just a game…" Sora shivered, as he thought about that. A game involving food?

He didn't want to find out what kind of game that would be, but he was certain he would.

* * *

"It's going to be hard on the Queen, but the best time to act will be at the marriage ceremony in two days." Cloud pointed at the map, and Axel nodded thoughtfully.

They were plotting how best to ruin Xehanort's fun, and this seemed like the best idea so far. The marriage would take place, by long tradition, on Starcrest field. That was a very large field, which would give them a lot of scope to work… and hopefully they could convince the Guard to get the civilians out quickly. Some would probably die, but it was still their best shot at getting close to the Queen.

"We'll have to coordinate with Seifer to pull this off." Leon said quietly. "I'll go to the palace to speak to him." Cloud frowned, but nodded. He didn't like sending Leon into that kind of danger, but Leon was best at missions like that. Well… Zexion or Zigbar might have been better, but there was no way Seifer would trust them.

"Seifer will be glad to see you. He seemed pretty upset about everything." Axel remarked, and Cloud smiled, a touch sadly.

"I can imagine. Poor Seifer… he wasn't ready for this. I hope he's been managing to use Hayner." Cloud shook his head, putting it out of his mind, and went back to the strategic planning. "Zexion can be here…" Axel watched intently as they laid out their plans. He didn't expect the plans would last much past their intervention in the wedding, but it was still good to have plans.

Of course, even with plans, they still had to wait two days. Axel studiously avoided Roxas throughout the day, but found he couldn't at night. There was something he needed to give the blond.

"Roxas." Axel frowned at the boy lying in his cot, kneeling down beside him. "Roxas?" There was a twitch, and Axel sighed to himself. Roxas heard him, he just wasn't responding. "Roxas, I have something for you. Please." Nothing. "Roxas…" Axel sighed, and invoked the geas. "Roxas, turn around and look at me." The blond moved without thought, and furious blue eyes met green.

"Are you going to order me to have sex with you now?" Roxas hissed, and Axel stared at him, stunned, as the words tore at his heart.

_Crack._

"Shit!" Axel gasped in pain as the vial in his hand shattered. He'd broken it without thinking, and blood started to flow from the glass splinters embedded in his hand. "God _damn _it!" Roxas blinked at the blood as Axel used his earth magic to force the splinters out, then seal the wound. Axel reached into his backpack and pulled out another vial, throwing it to him convulsively. "Here. Dreamless sleep potion. You'll sleep four hours, without dreams, and be completely refreshed." His voice was hoarse, ragged, and Roxas swallowed at the look in his green eyes before Axel turned away.

"Axel…" Roxas stopped as Axel walked away. What was there to say? Yes, he'd hurt the aethalmage… but Sora was still dead. Roxas looked at the potion, then swallowed it quickly, turning away again.

It would be good not to dream.

* * *

Axel stared at the wall as he tried to sleep and wished, desperately, for his own vial of dreamless sleep. But he'd given it to Roxas, and he didn't want to ask Zigbar for more. He knew the things that went into making it, and they were expensive. He doubted the freeshooter had any to spare, since they would all be using them the next day as well. That was the important part, anyway… he could afford to be tired tomorrow, but not the day of the wedding.

He didn't want to think. Thinking would hurt and thinking would keep him awake. But it was so hard to shut down his mind. Closing his eyes, he tried to watch the patterns of light and darkness behind his eyelids. That was relaxing, and eventually he began to drop off…

_Axel was vaguely aware he was dreaming. An odd, unsettling dream. But most of him was twelve years old, wandering through the academy._

_The academy had a name, but Axel couldn't remember what it was. To everyone, it was just the academy. The place, old as Theradin itself, where the offspring of the powerful were taught. And not just the powerful… children of the poor who showed special abilities could get scholarships. But mostly, it was the powerful. Aethalmages, nobles and wealthy merchants all sent there children here. The building was big enough to be a palace in its own right._

_But in this dream, the building was empty. That never happened in real life, and Axel was feeling more and more uneasy as he searched. There was someone he needed to find, but he didn't know where… and his chest hurt. Why did it hurt so much?_

"_Easy lad." Hands suddenly gripped his shoulders, and he looked up into wise, compassionate green eyes. "You can't find what you want here, son."_

"_Dad!" Axel hugged Gilius, and in his dream his father was so much taller… just as he'd been when Axel had been twelve. "Why does it hurt so much?"_

"_It's just a broken heart, lad. It'll get better with time." Axel wept as he heard those words, just as he'd wept when he'd heard them years before, when his father had helped him through his first heartache._

"_I thought this was the one. I want it to stop hurting." Axel suddenly tore away, running through the dark halls. "I have to find him!"_

"_Axel!"_

"Axel?" Axel blinked, blurrily making out a face above him as the dream shredded away. Finally he made out silvery purple hair, and blue eyes in a beautiful face. "I'm sorry to wake you, but… you were crying out."

"Oh. Sorry." Axel muttered, pushing himself up. "How long…?"

"Only a few hours." Came the soft reply, and Axel winced. "You didn't take the dreamless sleep?" Zexion knelt down beside the bed, folding his arms on it and looking at him.

"It… broke." Axel didn't want to explain how that had happened to Zexion. Zexion just looked at him, waiting for an explanation, then slowly glanced at Roxas across the room. The boy was dead to the world, and would be until the potion wore off.

"You were calling his name, in your dream." Zexion observed, and Axel swallowed, looking away. "Things aren't going well between the two of you?"

"There is no between the two of us." Axel said, surprising even himself with the bitterness of his tone. Zexion just looked at him, his eyes sad, and Axel had to drop his gaze.

"That might be too pessimistic. He's grieving, and blames you. He might eventually forgive." Zexion said quietly, and Axel shook his head.

"That wouldn't change anything. He doesn't understand." Roxas didn't understand his dedication to his duty. Axel rarely got pulled to do these special missions… he was a technomancer first… but when he did, he handled them like his father had taught him. It was his duty, and the duty of anyone with him, to see that the mission succeeded… whatever the cost. Riku had understood, but he'd been trained at the academy too. Zexion sighed. He knew where Axel was coming from. He'd never had a purpose like that, as an assassin, but Luxord had explained the King's oath to him.

"Perhaps he could. But not now. He's too upset." Axel shook his head, and Zexion watched him for a moment, hesitating. "Axel?"

"What…" Axel's voice trailed off as Zexion pressed his lips against his. It was a gentle, tentative kiss and seemed to last a long time before Axel pulled away. "Zex. That's… I can't replace him." Zexion closed his eyes, and rested his forehead against the bed.

"I know." Zexion whispered. "Even if you lifebonded to me at this moment, you couldn't replace him. My sun is gone… but I would like to pretend." Axel hesitated, then gently gripped Zexion's shoulder. The smaller man drew a deep breath, opening his eyes. "Axel… could you just hold me? I… don't want to be alone."

"I can do that." Axel felt relieved. Truthfully, he didn't want to be alone either… and he couldn't touch Roxas. Not now, when things between them were colder than the roof of the world. Zexion slid onto the bed beside him, and it was a very tight squeeze, but they managed it. Axel felt Zexion's breath against his neck as he dropped off to sleep again.

This time, if he dreamed, he didn't remember.


	12. Child of Earth

Author's Note: I apologize in advance for the crappy fight scene. I'm rather bad at that, sorry!

"You found WHAT now?" Seifer hissed to Hayner. They were speaking sub rosa, literally. The rose pattern engraved on the wooden canopy over them wouldn't have meant anything, but as part of Larxene's privacy spell, it was potent indeed. They hadn't known about this place until Larxene left the palace to find that aethalmage… she'd seen fit to tell him before she left, for some reason. Seifer wished he had known about it weeks ago.

"Xemnas had one of the tower rooms cleaned out, and he's keeping a couple boys there." Hayner repeated patiently. "No one knows anything about it. I only figured out something was going on up there when I saw a servant carrying out plates. So I snuck up and took a look."

"Are you nuts! He probably has wards down, you could have been killed." Seifer snapped, and Hayner just snorted. "You're not invincible, moron. Okay. Who the hell are these boys?"

"Well, I don't know for sure, but one had silver hair and the other was brunette." Seifer blinked at that information. "So I'm pretty sure-"

"Nice place to plot." The voice behind them made them both start violently and Seifer turned, his hand on his sword. "But you might want to work on your awareness a touch."

"Leon, you bastard!" Seifer hissed at the other man, who smiled tolerantly. "Where have you been? Where's Cloud?"

"That, I'm not going to say." Leon said firmly. "I'll tell you later. For now, let me fill you in on what we know and what we're doing." That would take more than long enough. He was a bit uneasy, trusting Larxene's enchantment, but they would need Seifer and Hayner's help. "Here's how it is…" And he started explaining the situation to his fascinated audience. But he added something new. "And if you can get those two boys out for this, another aethalmage would help." He had no doubt at all it was Riku and Sora. Who else would Xehanort be keeping, who matched those two particular descriptions? Seifer nodded, his blue eyes hard.

"We're on it. You can count on us, Leon." Hayner nodded as well. They would do what they had to do, no matter the cost.

They had sworn an oath to the Queen.

* * *

Sora kept his hands firmly clamped over his ears and his eyes closed. He did not want to hear or see what was happening on the bed. All the humiliating, degrading things Riku was being forced to do for rewards of food.

Sora was hardly an innocent, but none of his customers had ever had the time or inclination for something this elaborate. He knew, abstractly, that some people had very odd fetishes, including master/slave relationships. But he'd never expected to have those fetishes graphically demonstrated on the man he loved. Even with his hands over his ears, he could sometimes hear Riku's cries… although Xehanort was unnervingly silent. Sora thought that even if no one had told him, he would have guessed that the man wasn't human. When he wasn't pretending, he didn't react to anything like a normal person.

Riku was panting softly when Xehanort chained him back up. Sora looked up as the psychonaut vanished, and gasped. Riku was covered in bruises and small cuts, and clearly in a painful state of arousal. Riku saw him looking and flushed, turning away to hide himself.

"Riku, he didn't let you…?" Sora blushed, reaching out to touch Riku's shoulder… he had his hands in front of himself, hiding the evidence, but Sora had already seen. Riku shook his head.

"It's… part of the game sometimes… Kadaj did that to me when I'd been bad, or when he felt like it." Riku whispered, closing his eyes. "I'll be fine Sora."

"Let me help." Sora said softly, and Riku looked at him, eyes wide and shocked. He hesitated a moment, then pulled his hands away as Sora reached down, gently stroking him. Riku moaned softly as Sora ran his fingers over his erection, then fisted it, pumping him up and down.

Under Sora's touch, it didn't take long for him to release, and Riku slumped against Sora, exhausted. Then he winced faintly, trying to shift into a more comfortable position before giving up. There were too many cuts, no matter how he leaned against Sora some of them would be painful. But he didn't care, and when Sora's arms slid around him, Riku melted into the embrace.

"Thanks, Sora. I-I love you so much." Riku whispered in the brunette's ear, and felt his arms tighten around him for a moment. He was amazed at how Sora was managing to accept all these horrible revelations about him. Riku trusted Axel more than anyone else in the world, but he still wouldn't have shown him any of this, for fear that the redhead would be disgusted.

"I love you too, Riku." Sora said in his ear, and Riku sniffed quietly, hugging Sora back. It was amazing.

"If we get out of this… would you lifebond to me, Sora?" Riku asked quietly, and Sora met his eyes, a little shocked. Axel had told them all about lifebonding after what had happened to Zexion, so he knew how it worked… and what it would do. Riku would be giving up a portion of his strength and longevity and they would be linked together, forever, by an unbreakable tie. Even if they eventually came to hate each other, the tie could only be broken with death… which was why aethalmages only did it when they were absolutely certain what they felt was love. Sora felt his own heart melting. Riku would do that for him?

"With all my heart." Sora promised, and kissed Riku deeply… and tried to ignore the unhappy suspicion that they wouldn't get the chance.

* * *

"Sora's alive?" Roxas stared at Leon, scarcely daring to believe his ears. The brown haired man smiled slightly before nodding.

"We're quite sure. Xehanort has two prisoners who match his and Riku's descriptions." They couldn't be absolutely sure until the boys were rescued, but it was stretching credulity to imagine otherwise. Roxas took a deep, shuddering breath and rubbed his face with one hand. He could hardly believe it… but if it was true…

"Axel." He whispered, then blinked, speaking louder. "Where's Axel?" He deserved to know… Riku was his friend. And Roxas needed to speak to him, although he wasn't sure what to say. His anger at the redhead had suddenly turned into a confused bundle of emotions, and now that he wasn't so angry, the expression on Axel's face last night made him feel a little sick.

"He's with Zexion in the back." Xigbar answered, looking up from where he was working on one of his guns. "And if you can ask him to bring back my ammo while you're at it, I'd appreciate it." Roxas blinked, wondering what Zexion was doing with Xigbar's ammo, but nodded.

It didn't take long to find the two of them, and Roxas frowned as he watched them, hesitating. Axel and Zexion were both looking intently at a gun, their heads close together as they spoke in low voices. It was… a very intimate position, and Roxas felt a sudden spark of jealousy.

"Axel?" He said loudly, and the two of them looked up, startled. Zexion's gaze was completely impassive, but Axel… Roxas frowned as he saw the distant wariness in the redhead's expression. The coldness in his eyes just wasn't the Axel Roxas knew and… loved. "Leon came back. He says Sora and Riku are alive, being held prisoner at the palace."

"Oh." Axel was silent for a moment, just looking at him. "That's good. Thank you." Roxas frowned at the lack of interest in his voice, his temper flaring again. Why was Axel acting like this?

"Don't you care that they're alive?" Axel's eyes flashed for a moment before they dropped back to the gun on the table. "Well?"

"Of course I care. I'm glad you told me. I'm just busy right now." Axel ignored him, reaching for a small tool and doing something to the gun. Zexion frowned, watching him carefully but saying nothing. Roxas stared at him in disbelief. How could Axel be so cold? Then his eyes dulled as he remembered what he had said to Axel last night. Maybe that was why.

"Axel… if it's about what I said to you yesterday, I… I'm sorry." He said quietly. He wasn't sorry for most of it, but he was sorry for almost accusing Axel of being a rapist. It hadn't been fair, it had just been angry words. Axel sighed and reached up, pinching the bridge of his nose. This was giving him a headache.

"Roxas… I really don't have time for this right now. I need to finish this. Can we talk about it after everything is taken care of?" Roxas frowned, but nodded.

"Fine, Axel. We'll talk then." He walked away, trying not to feel hurt at the dismissal. Axel bent over the gun again, as Zexion watched Roxas go.

"You're pushing him away, now. Why?" Zexion asked in a tone of mild curiosity as Axel modified the gun. They were trying to change it to work with technomancy, and be more similar to Xigbar's. That was why they had borrowed his ammo. So far, it was turning out to be more challenging than Axel had expected. But regular weapons weren't going to work on Xehanort. Guns never worked well on mages, period. The shields to deflect bullets were just too easy… even darts were better. But there was no way in hell a dart was going to do anything against a psychonaut. They were all invulnerable to toxins.

"He's too young for me." Axel finally said, as his hands worked without thought, putting into place the modifications he and Zexion had discussed. Zexion lifted his eyebrows.

"I'm twenty. Luxord was fifty." Zexion pointed out. "You aethalmages live hundreds of years, so that's hardly a valid concern." Axel sighed, rubbing his head for a moment. He really didn't want to be discussing this. But… it was less painful to talk about it with Zexion. He wasn't emotionally involved, unlike Roxas.

"I just…" Axel stared at the gun blankly, not really seeing it… and not aware of the sadness brimming in his own eyes. "I'm not sure I love him anymore, Zex. He's a really sweet kid, sometimes, and has an edge to him I like… but I'm not sure. I'm not sure he can accept what I am."

"Does he need to?" Axel frowned at the smaller man, and Zexion shrugged. "Luxord told me about these things, but he hardly ever had to do special missions. Do you do them often?"

"…No. Not really." Axel was a technomancer, and in the normal course of things, too valuable at his work to risk. Riku was a completely different matter… he didn't have a specialty… but for some reason, he seemed to be getting passed over for solo missions. Axel wasn't sure why that was.

"If that's the case, you don't have to take Roxas with you on missions." Zexion said practically. "So it doesn't matter if he accepts the King's Oath. And unless Riku takes Sora on another mission with you, this situation shouldn't occur again. If you do get put on a mission, you can just leave him at home. Luxord said that's what most aethalmage's do with their companions." Axel nodded reluctantly. That was nothing but the truth. Still…

"I'd hoped to find someone I could share everything with." Axel sighed. "I suppose that was rather silly. Unless I found an aethalmage to partner with." Only another aethalmage was likely to understand and accept all the constraints. Axel had actually looked a bit, among the younger aethalmages, but hadn't found anyone he really cared for. The one closest to his heart was Riku, and that was a friendship, nothing more. "Thanks, Zexion. I'll think about it." Even if he couldn't share everything with Roxas… it might be enough. Zexion nodded.

"No problem. And look on the bright side." Axel blinked at him curiously as Zexion suddenly grinned. A death's head grin. "If everything goes badly, we won't have to worry about it. We'll be dead."

"How cheery." Axel replied dryly, and went back to work on the gun. "Remind me to never have you give a speech to the troops. You'll kill the morale." Zexion shrugged, and waited patiently for Axel to finish retooling his gun.

He had nothing to do right now but wait.

* * *

"Riku!"

"Mmm?" Riku woke up to Sora shaking him, and another boy grinning down at him. He blinked at the sandy blond hair and blue eyes, then grunted as a bundle of clothes was dumped on his chest.

"We're getting out of here." Sora said happily. The collar had already been removed, and Riku blinked as he felt someone else working on his. He turned his head to see Seifer beside him, frowning as he did something to the metal.

"Good thing he just used the usual collars from the dungeons…" Seifer grunted as the metal finally popped open, and Riku blinked as the pane of glass in his mind seemed to disappear. He could feel and use his magic again… there must have been an enchantment on the collar, and a similar one on the choke chain Xehanort had used to restrain him. "Come on, hurry your butts. The wedding is today and we need to get this show on the road." Riku hastily put his clothes on. "It's officially go time."

"Your new catchphrase is super dorky, Seifer." The other boy commented, and Seifer favored him with a glower. "I'm Hayner, by the way." Riku nodded, glancing over the clothes… he and Sora were both in the uniform of the Queen's Guard. "Just follow us. We're going to the field right now." Riku blinked, a little overwhelmed by all the changes… but he wasn't going to protest. Anything that got him out of his room and away from Xehanort was a positive change.

Wait. Wedding?

"We're going to crash the Queen's wedding?" Riku said breathlessly as Seifer gave him a 'shut up' look. "Oh. Right." There was no other explanation, though, and Riku was willing to bet Axel was involved somehow. That made him feel warm inside. He had hoped Axel and Roxas had made it out, but he hadn't been sure. Sora was beaming and gripping his hand as they followed Seifer and Hayner.

Pretty soon, they were part of the Guards leading the Queen to Starcrest meadow. The other Guards knew they didn't belong, of course, but they must have been hand picked by Seifer for the duty. No one said a word, and they were easily kept away from the Queen. She would have noticed new faces. Riku winced as he saw her face from a distance. She looked so radiant, so happy, and they were about to destroy that. He scanned the crowd, trying to spot Axel or Roxas, but couldn't make them out.

The Queen and Xehanort were exchanging their vows. At the end, as per the usual formulae, the priest asked the crowd if anyone objected. It was a ridiculous, clichéd thing to do, but it was also a quite appropriate time for them to make their move. Axel stepped forward, pulling back his hood and calling out, his voice enhanced with aethalmagery so everyone in the field could hear him.

"I object! I am Axel Tavodan, and I accuse you, Xemnas, of being Xehanort, the traitor of Theradin!" Xehanort went white, then red with rage. In his arrogance, he hadn't realized the forces that had arrayed against him… he thought Cloud and Leon were dead, and the only remaining aethalmage was safely on the run. That he would dare interrupt the wedding this way hadn't occurred to him. "I also accuse you of being a psychonaut!" Axel raised his voice so it could be heard over the hubbub starting. "Return to your own dimension, creature, or be destroyed!" Queen Aeris stepped back, shocked and disbelieving.

"No… you must be mad! He's Xemnas! This is ridiculous-" She said before Seifer grabbed one arm, and Hayner the other, just before Larxene jumped in front of her. "Larxene?!?" Xehanort snarled, and threw a bolt of pure energy at Larxene. The talumancer countered it and it blasted into the crowd, killing dozens in one blow.

The crowd woke up to the fact that they were about to be in the middle of a talumancer and aethalmage battle, and started trying to escape. Xigbar grabbed Zexion, floating them in the air as the crowd threatened to knock them down. Then he drew his guns and began firing. The bullets were enshrouded in pure, elemental air and slammed against Xehanort's shield with the force of a winter gale. Xehanort's face was cold and composed as he turned to meet the threats. Axel unleashed fire as Riku flung ice, and Zexion shot a traitorous talumancer who was sneaking up behind Axel. She screamed, collapsing to the ground.

The battle wasn't just between them and Xehanort. He had enough supporters to make things very messy, but Larxene, the Guard, and several talumancers who trusted Larxene were managing to handle most of it.

Still, despite how many of them were attacking Xehanort, they weren't winning. Lightning danced over Riku's shields, slamming him to the ground, and icy winds knocked Axel away. Xigbar had to dance through the air, dropping Zexion, to avoid blasts directed at him. Cloud and Leon attacked with enchanted swords, but found Xehanort could phase away from attacks.

"Roxas!" Sora yelled his brother's name, fighting his way to his side. Roxas was watching in frustration. Earth magic had only a few directly damaging spells, and he'd already tried all but one. He looked up, his eyes brightening as he saw Sora.

"Sora!" He hugged his brother briefly. "Lets join our power and do a summoning!" That was a dangerous spell, but they had very little to lose. Sora nodded and Roxas pulled out a small knife, cutting his arm and then Sora's, so their blood could meld together. It dripped onto the earth as they concentrated, pooling the power and sending out a wordless plea to the spirits of earth.

The dirt stirred, and the child of earth emerged. It was just as Axel's card had pictured it… a slender boy made out of stone, with sullen red eyes that glared at them with unbound rage. Roxas felt a shiver as he looked at it, and realized that it hated. What, he wasn't sure… but it hated.

"Kill him!" He pointed at Xehanort, and the child turned to look, then began stomping towards Xehanort. Anyone unlucky enough to be in the way was cast aside with bone breaking force. Xehanort looked up with a frown, then attacked the child with air and water as it approached. But Roxas and Sora funneled power into the child, and more rock rose from the dirt to keep it whole. It slammed through Xehanort's shields as if they weren't even there, and backhanded the man with stunning force.

"He's weak to spirits!" Riku called to Axel. "Summon a fire sprite!" Riku started his own summoning, calling a zephyr of air as Axel pulled in a salamander. Summoning was never the first thing aethalmages cared to do… it was a very old magic that could easily get out of control, since summoned creatures had their own minds and desires. But summoned creatures didn't operate entirely on the same reality as people, so it made sense that a psychonaut could be vulnerable to them. Larxene sent an ice revenant in, as Xigbar and Zexion kept firing, distracting Xehanort with physical objects. Finally overwhelmed, his defenses collapsed as his body was shredded by the child of earth.

But that wasn't enough. Axel sent his salamander into the other realms, and Riku did the same with his zephyr, tearing apart the very large, very complex thing that was Xehanort's true consciousness. With a scream of hate and pain, it abruptly vanished, and Axel knew they hadn't destroyed it. But it had been forced to return to its own dimension, which was almost as good. When gates like that were closed, they were very hard to reopen. Very hard indeed. Axel managed to dismiss his salamander, and collapsed to his knees, drained.

"That was incredibly nasty." Axel checked himself over, realizing he'd come out several broken ribs. He hadn't even noticed getting them, in the middle of the fight. And Riku had picked up some nasty electrical burns. The worst off was probably Cloud, who had a bad cut on his side and a broken arm… given to him by the child of earth. It hadn't been too careful about its allies. "Are there any medics-" He was cut off by a scream of pure agony. Shocked, he turned to look, his green eyes going wide at the sight.

Zexion was struggling in the grip of the child of earth. Fingers of stone tightened on him, and they could all hear bones breaking. Then it raked its hands over his sides, and blood exploded from the deep rents. Xigbar began firing at it, but the child shrugged off the bullets.

"Stop!" Sora screamed as Roxas watched, paralyzed. But there was no power behind the command… they had spent it all keeping the child intact against Xehanort's attacks. Casually, as if it were handling a baby, the child lifted Zexion and broke his back over its knee. Then it discarded the dying man like a broken doll, and took a step towards them, its red eyes seeming to fix on Axel. Axel slowly pulled himself to his feet, but Roxas could see the trembling in his hands.

"I can see you've lost control, but do you have enough power to dismiss it?" He asked as the child flung a splinter of stone at Xigbar, which the freeshooter barely managed to avoid. Roxas shook his head. "I see. Well, in the future, you should know… earth spirits hate aethalmages for conquering Midori and taking away all their yummy human sacrifices. They never forgive, and they never forget. Riku?" Riku nodded, and they both summoned the power they had left. Riku attacked with water and Axel used air. Fire was useless on earth elementals.

They damaged it, but not enough, and it ran directly at Axel. It hit his shields with a sizzling sound and the stench of ozone, then was lifting him into the air by his throat. Roxas screamed his name, as Axel gripped the child's wrist, his face twisting in pain as the child seemed to… dip its fingers into his stomach. Then it tossed him away, going towards Riku.

"Axel!" Roxas ran to the aethalmage's side. Axel was lying on his stomach, too silent and too pale, his red hair smeared with blood. But his eyes moved as Roxas knelt beside him, fixing on his face.

"Roxas." He said roughly, gripping his arm. "Help… me. Turn over." Roxas helped slide the aethalmage onto his back, and gagged as he saw what the child had done. It had literally torn open his belly, and Axel's intestines were oozing out. Axel grabbed his hand and with surprising strength, forced it against the open wound. "Take… what you need." For a moment Roxas stared at him, unable to understand, then paled.

"Axel, no! If I take your earth magic right now, you'll die." Earth magic was the stuff of healing, and he had no doubt at all that draining Axel right now would kill him. Axel growled, and wouldn't let go of his wrist, despite the pain etched on his face.

"Damn you… Roxas! Do it or Riku will die!" Roxas looked up and heard Sora scream. The child had Riku in its grip now, and was casually breaking his bones, one at a time as the aethalmage cried out in pain. Xigbar was still firing, and his air based bullets were doing damage, but the child didn't seem to care. Leon ran up behind it and sliced a huge piece off, but they would have to completely demolish it to stop it, and that would take time… time Riku didn't have. Roxas wept as he drew Axel's power out of him, tasting the blood and smelling the earth.

Axel couldn't have dispelled the child because he hadn't cast the initial spell… but Roxas and Sora had. With the sudden influx of energy, Roxas tore apart the bindings that were holding the spirit to its physical form. The child suddenly halted, then shattered, dissolving into nothing but rocky splinters. But Roxas didn't wait to see. He turned his attention back to Axel.

"Axel?" The aethalmage's beautiful green eyes were open, and peaceful, but his chest wasn't moving. "AXEL!" Roxas tried to pour the earth magic back into him, and the rent started healing, but Axel wasn't breathing-

"Out of the way, kid." Roxas tried to struggle, but Leon firmly forced him aside before tilting Axel's head back and beginning to… what was he doing? Roxas blinked. It looked like a kiss… no. He was making Axel breath, and Roxas heart leapt into his throat. Could Axel be saved? "Get out of the way I said." Roxas hastily complied as Leon moved so he was straddling Axel, then placed both hands on his chest, pressing down several times. Roxas had never seen anything like it. Was he trying to make Axel's heart beat? "Get a medic, Roxas!" Leon ordered, sounding faintly exasperated, and Roxas sprinted away towards the tangle of talumancers who were tending to the injured.

He couldn't make himself believe Axel could be saved… but they had to try.


	13. Fin

Roxas looked at his hands as he waited. Sora was with him, and they were both sitting in the waiting room of the Queen's hospital.

This was a real hospital, an expensive place and as completely unlike the rotten one Sora had been in as possible. It did have one similarity, though… the patients were mostly deathly ill. Not even the rich liked to go to a hospital if they could avoid it. Axel and Riku were being given the best care possible… but they could still die. No one was giving them any information yet. Roxas looked up as Sora gripped his hand, and smiled weakly at his brother. They couldn't help but feel responsible for what had happened. If they only hadn't summoned the child of earth… but if they hadn't, would Axel and the others have defeated Xehanort? Would Zexion have died?

The silvery haired man hadn't made it. He'd been dead before the talumancers even reached him, and Roxas could only hope he was with Luxord again.

"You are Sora and Roxas?" A talumancer stopped in front of them. She was very petite, with silvery blond hair and eyes like summer sky. She smiled sympathetically at them as they scrambled to their feet. "I have some news for you."

"Please, is Riku okay?" Sora blurted out as Roxas just stared at her, waiting for the shoe to drop. Her smile warmed a touch.

"Riku is going to be fine, although he will be bedridden for weeks as the bones recover. The most serious part is a fractured sternum, so we are keeping a very close eye on him. That can cause heart problems. But so far, he seems to be recovering." Sora sank down, feeling faint with relief. "You'll be able to see him." The talumancer hesitated for a moment before turning to Roxas. "Axel is still alive, but he is in very poor shape. I cannot lie to you… We're not certain he will survive. We've given him massive blood transfusions and spells but his body seems reluctant to heal. You can see him, but he's very heavily drugged." Roxas nodded, feeling his eyes prickle with held back tears.

"He can't die yet. Not before I've had a chance to tell him…" Roxas murmured to himself as he followed the talumancer. She took them to Riku's room first, and Sora ran to his bedside with a glad cry. Roxas smiled faintly… he was sure that if Riku didn't have so many broken bones, Sora would be glomping him half to death. The silver haired aethalmage looked absolutely terrible, his silver hair in desperate need of a wash and his eyes surrounded by dark circles… but he smiled at Sora.

"This way." The talumancer interrupted his thoughts, and Roxas tensed as she led him to another room. Axel was there, being monitored by several magical tools, and he was as still as death. Roxas swallowed as he saw the waxy pallor of the aethalmage's skin. But as he watched, Axel's eyelids flickered, and he opened his beautiful green eyes.

"Axel?" Heart in his throat, Roxas walked to Axel's bedside. "Are you… can you hear me?" He'd been about to ask if Axel was okay, but that was clearly a stupid question. Axel blinked slowly, and Roxas frowned, wondering if the aethalmage could really see him. His pupils were huge, probably a side effect of the drugs.

"Roxas?" His name came out as a sigh of expelled air. "Found you… don't go?" Axel gave him a pleading look, and Roxas knelt down beside him, gently running a hand through the flame red hair.

"I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere." He promised the redhead, and Axel sighed, turning his head slightly to press his cheek against Roxas' hand. "Axel, I… I have to tell you. I love you." He'd been thinking hard about how he felt… and even if Axel could be a bit heartless at times, he really did love him. The thought of losing him was so frightening.

"Love you too." Came the reply, and Roxas felt his heart lighten. Sure, Axel was drugged… but that should only make his responses more truthful. Roxas smiled, and gently pressed a kiss to the stricken aethalmage's forehead. "Stay?" Axel looked at him pathetically, his eyes begging him not to leave. Roxas glanced around and pulled up a chair.

"I'll be right here." Axel nodded and closed his eyes, and Roxas watched the redhead sleep.

He would stay as long as it took for Axel to get better. He refused to believe there was any other conclusion.

* * *

"We have to do something."

"But what?" Seifer muttered to Larxene, glancing uneasily at the Queen. Queen Aeris was sitting in the garden, staring blankly into a beautiful koi pond… and she did not look well. In fact, she looked terribly depressed. It wasn't at all surprising, really. In the normal course of things, people simply don't lie to another for a year. Unless… you're very unlucky, and encounter a person with absolutely no conscience. And when it was over, it left you with the terrible question… who could you trust, if someone so close had lied to you so thoroughly?

"Okay, time to rephrase. YOU need to do something." Larxene gave Seifer a little shove, and he looked at her with a frown. "Come on. I've known you've loved her for years."

"Wha-?!" Seifer cut himself off before he could shout and draw the Queen's attention. "Larxene, you bitch. How I feel doesn't matter. I've always done my duty properly." Larxene's eyes narrowed, and she growled softly.

"Seifer, you're so stupid. I'm not saying you need to resign or something, you ass. You need to go out there and comfort her." Seifer stared at her. In the normal course of things, that was a completely improper thing for a member of the Guard to do. Of course… the situation wasn't exactly normal. "I would do it… I love her too… but Aeris is not into girls. I can only do so much, and I've already been doing it. She needs someone to love her, really love her right now."

"Larxene!" Seifer hissed, glancing at Queen Aeris. She was idly playing with her braid, still looking into the pond with dull eyes. "I'm not even noble. I could never marry her, I don't think I could even be her consort. And I don't… I don't want to be just a lover." That would have killed him, especially since the Queen's lover couldn't also be the Captain of the Guard. He wasn't Captain right now, of course… he'd given that back to Cloud, and gladly… but he still had his hopes for the future. When he was ready.

"Seifer, in case you hadn't noticed, she's the Queen. If she wants to she can ennoble you and force the marriage down the Council's throats. Besides which, they probably wouldn't object much if she made you a consort. Not after Xemnas." She pointed out, and Seifer frowned. But…

"I don't think she's ever noticed me." Seifer muttered. He'd always worshipped Queen Aeris from afar. She was the Queen and he was her knight… Larxene sighed, and shoved his shoulder.

"Probably she hasn't. Go get her attention. Even if she tells you to bugger off, it'll wake her up a bit." Seifer glared at her, and she shrugged. "We're in this for her, remember?"

"…Right. Thanks for throwing me to the wolves, Larxene." She grinned at him wickedly, and he had to resist the urge to punch her in the face. "Okay." Seifer took a deep breath. He was… terrified, actually. Strange how that worked. What was he going to say? There was no point in thinking about it. He walked out purposefully, and the Queen didn't notice him until he was kneeling beside her, a hand on her knee. She frowned down at him, startled out of her lethargy… that was too forward for a guard. Seifer met her eyes, his breath momentarily taken away. This was it?

"My Queen, I… I have a confession to make." Aeris looked bewildered and Seifer plowed on. "I love you. I've always loved you. I just… couldn't say it… I'm only a commoner and a Guard… but I love you, my Queen. You don't have to return it or, or anything, but I just had to tell you I… love you." It was the hardest thing he'd ever done in his life, and Aeris was staring into his eyes, shocked, as if she'd never seen him before.

"Seifer," she said haltingly, and touched his shoulder. "You… mean it?" Tears filled her eyes, and before he realized what he was doing, Seifer violated every rule of etiquette between the Queen and a Guard, and scooped her into his embrace. She shivered, then suddenly burst into tears.

"I mean it with all my heart." He murmured, stroking her hair as she wept. He had no idea if there could ever really be something between them… Aeris would be recovering from her emotional wounds for some time… but he would be there for her. And that was enough.

* * *

Weeks later

"And we are going home. Thank god and pass the tea biscuits." Sora grinned and passed Riku a cookie, which he ate with gusto. They were back on the airship, and all their items were being loaded again. Axel was leaning against the railing heavily, but upright and recovering. The Queen hadn't requested that they leave, but Axel had thought it was prudent… and they were all longing for the comforts of home. Wet, cold little Theradin had never looked so good.

"Hoi the ship!" Someone landed on the airship in a burst of talumancery, and everyone gaped as a hood was shook back. "You take passengers?"

"Xigbar?" Axel blinked as the talumancer strode over to him, his ponytail whipping as the ship began moving. "Uh… we're going at the moment. What are you doing?" Normally, when a private citizen wanted to travel between Theradin and Aerinos, there was quite a bit of paperwork. And talumancers weren't private citizens anymore than aethalmages were, so they would actually require permission from the Queen. So this was unexpected, to say the least. Xigbar looked down at the landscape moving by, and grinned.

"I know, I timed it perfectly. I'm absconding." Axel stared at the freeshooter, who shrugged. "There's nothing to keep me here." He paused, gauging Axel, and realized that wasn't going to be enough explanation. "It's like this. I never wanted to be a talumancer. I come from a commoner family that happened to have a streak of it, and got the gift… but I wanted to be a merc like my dad. So when they grabbed me and put me in school, I fucked it up every way I could." Xigbar grinned wickedly. "While learning all the shit. They never asked how much skill it took to make a ribbon blow up. So anyway… they all thought I was useless and I got to do my own thing. But now Larxene knows I'm not useless, and my old teachers have gone through their notes and started figuring it out. And Zexion and Luxord are dead. They were my buddies. I've got no reason to stay and every reason to go… and I'd hoped that my new aethalmage pals might find it in their hearts to not mention this to anyone. What do you say?" Axel hesitated.

"I take it you don't want to work for the King, either?" Xigbar snorted. "Right… well, normally a free talumancer would have to swear himself to the King, but given what's already happened, we can cover for you. But can you swear, on your blood and power, that you won't act against the King?" A completely free talumancer was a possible threat, which was part of the reason they had to take an oath to the king to emigrate. Xigbar nodded, expression serious.

"I can do that. I have nothing against your King. I just want to be my own man." Axel nodded. He could respect that, although he didn't feel the same way. His own dedication to the King and country went too deep… but then, his father had taught him about it almost from birth. "Thanks Axel, I owe you one."

"No thanks needed. You can stay in our cabin." Roxas frowned at that and gave Axel a look. "Uh… well, maybe we'll find room in a conference room? Roxas, we're full up." Xigbar threw his head back in a loud laugh.

"Don't worry about me! I'll find something. You two lovebirds go make a nest." Xigbar strode down into the bowels of the ship to go look for a place to bed down as Roxas blushed. Axel grinned.

"Nesting sounds good, actually. You want to?" He said to Roxas, who shrugged with a smile. He wasn't tired, but Axel tired very easily right now… and they could always do something else besides sleep.

"Sure." Roxas pulled Axel's head down into a deep, intimate kiss. "I'd love to." Axel smiled, his green eyes warm and happy. They hadn't really discussed what had happened… but they hadn't needed to. All had been forgiven.

It was a good beginning to the rest of their lives.


End file.
